2000
#25,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 909
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Blyth
A habitation name from any of several places in England named Blyth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,072 Americans carry the last name Blyth. That puts it at #27,325 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 319,734 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blyth surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blyth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 319,734
Census rank
#27,325
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
935
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 935 bearers of the surname Blyth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27325th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blyth
The surname Blyth originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "blyđe," which meant "blithe" or "joyous." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a cheerful or merry person.
In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as Blithe or Blythe. It is found in various ancient records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as a place name in Nottinghamshire.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Blyth was Robert de Blythe, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1197. Another early reference is to Walter de Blythe, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.
The name Blyth is also associated with several place names in England, such as Blyth in Northumberland and Blyth in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English word "bliđe," meaning "gentle" or "pleasant," referring to the nature of the area.
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Blyth (c. 1465 - c. 1530), an English politician and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1521. Another prominent figure was Geoffrey Blyth (1580 - 1663), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works.
In the literary world, Samuel Blyth (1784 - 1831) was a Scottish poet and writer, best known for his collection of poems titled "The Cottager's Muse." Another writer was James Blyth (1839 - 1906), a Scottish author and journalist who contributed to various newspapers and magazines.
Lastly, Sir Benjamin Blyth (1819 - 1900) was a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1864 to 1871.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Blyth throughout history, highlighting its English origins and the diverse fields in which its bearers have made their mark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blyth
Among Census respondents with the surname Blyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Blyth bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blyth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 874
- Two or more races3.1% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
- Black or African American1.1% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blyth
Blyth appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#26,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 907
-2 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,290 places
2020
#27,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 935
+28 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,524 | 909 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,814 | 907 | 0.31 | -2 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 1,290 places |
| 2020 | #27,325 | 935 | 0.31 | +28 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 511 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Blyth surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,814 | #27,325 | -1.9% |
| Count | 907 | 935 | 3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blyth bearers went from 907 to 935 (+3.1% change). The surname moved down 511 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,814 to #27,325.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blyth
FAQ
Blyth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blyth?
Name Census estimates that about 1,072 living Americans carry the surname Blyth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 319,734 residents.
How common is Blyth?
Blyth ranks #27,325 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 935 people with the surname Blyth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,072), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Blyth.
Has Blyth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blyth went from 907 recorded bearers to 935. That is an increase of 28 (+3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,814 to #27,325.
What does the Census say about the background of Blyth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blyth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (874 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blyth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Blyth (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Blyth mean?
A habitation name from any of several places in England named Blyth. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Blyth (0.31 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Blyth?
Want to know how many people are called Blyth? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.