Explore the Family Name Blakely
The meaning of Blakely
1. English and Scottish: habitational name from Blackley, north of Manchester in Lancashire, or possibly in some instances from Blackley in Yorkshire, from apparently a compound of Old English blæc + lēah ‘black clearing’. Some forms suggest the name may be derived from an unrecorded place in Bury or Prestwich called Blakelaw ‘black hill’ (Old English blæc ‘black’ + hlāw ‘hill’) or that Blackley was also known as Blakelaw. Confusion between -law and -ley is not uncommon. The surname was confused with (and may also be a source of) Blakey. 2. English: habitational name from Blakeley Hall in Witton le Wear (County Durham), from Old English blæc ‘black’ + hlāw ‘hill’. 3. English: habitational name probably from Blakeley in Staffordshire, with the same etymology as 1 and 2 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Blakely in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the Blakely surname has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Blakely ranked as the 2924th most popular surname in the United States with a count of approximately 11,300 individuals bearing the name. By 2010, the surname had dipped slightly in rank to 3077th, marking a decrease of about 5.23%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Blakely surname increased by 3.27% during this decade, reaching a total of approximately 11,669. However, when factored into the proportion per 100k people, the prevalence of the surname decreased by 5.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,924 | #3,077 | -5.23% |
| Count | 11,300 | 11,669 | 3.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.19 | 3.96 | -5.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Blakely
The ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census for the Blakely surname shows a diverse range of ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as White made up the majority of those with the Blakely surname at 65.85% in 2000, although this dipped slightly to 62.80% by 2010. Black individuals accounted for the second-largest group at 29.25% in 2000, increasing to 30.64% in 2010. Notably, the Hispanic representation among Blakelys saw a significant increase of 57.22%, rising from 1.80% to 2.83%. Meanwhile, those identifying as two or more races also rose, from 2.01% to 2.75%. The percentage of Blakelys who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native both experienced slight decreases over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.85% | 62.8% | -4.63% |
| Black | 29.25% | 30.64% | 4.75% |
| Hispanic | 1.8% | 2.83% | 57.22% |
| Two or More Races | 2.01% | 2.75% | 36.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.52% | -11.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.46% | -8% |
Blakely ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Blakely is British & Irish, which comprises 52.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Nigerian (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.4% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Nigerian | 4.1% |
| Other | 23.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Blakely
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Blakely have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
What Blakely haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Blakely is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Darnell, Charlton, Garner, Tyler, Cunningham, Ryder, Staton, Rouse, Hammond, Horst.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Blakely surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Blakely have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Blakely" Surname 45.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Blakely" Surname 31.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Blakely" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Blakely" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Blakely?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Blakely are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition