Meaning and origin
The last name Blackburn originates from Old English, with the word "black" referring to the color, and "burna" meaning a stream or brook. The name likely denoted someone who lived near or worked by a stream with dark or black water. The surname has been found in various regions of England, and its prominence and distribution can be linked to the movement and settlement patterns of families over time.
The longer story
The last name Blackburn has a long history and interesting etymology. Here are the facts known about this surname:
2. Its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the 13th century.
3. The name is derived from Old English, with "blæc" meaning "black" and "burna" meaning "stream" or "brook."
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#889
Blackburn was the 889th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 39,097 people, about 13 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Blackburn
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Blackburn is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.