Blake Family History

English and Scottish (England and central Scotland): variant of Black 1 meaning ‘swarthy’ or ‘dark-haired’ from a byform of the Old English adjective blæc blac ‘black’ with change of vowel length. English: nickname from Middle English blak(e) (Old English blāc) ‘wan pale white fair’. In Middle English the two words blac and blāc with opposite meanings fell together as Middle English blake.

In the absence of independent evidence as to whether the person referred to was dark or fair, it is now impossible to tell which sense was originally meant. English (Norfolk): nickname from Middle English bleik blaik > blek(e) (Old Norse bleikr) ‘pale or sallow’ (in complexion).

Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Bláthmhaic ‘descendant of Bláthmhac’, a personal name from bláth ‘flower blossom’ (also meaning ‘fame or prosperity’) + mac ‘son’. In some instances however the Irish name is derived from Old English blæc ‘dark swarthy’ as in 1 above.

Many bearers are descended from Richard Caddell, nicknamed le blac, sheriff of Connacht in the early 14th century. The English surname has been Gaelicized as de Bláca.