Black Family History

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Black Name Meaning

Scottish and English: from Middle English blak(e) ‘black’ (Old English blæc, blaca), a nickname given from the earliest times to a swarthy or dark-haired man. Scottish and English: from Old English blac ‘pale’, ‘fair’, i.e. precisely the opposite meaning to 1, and a variant of Blake 2. Blake and Black are found more or less interchangeably in several surnames and place names. English: variant of Blanc as a Norman name. The pronunciation of the nasalized vowel gave considerable difficulty to English speakers, and its quality was often ignored. Scottish and Irish: translation of various names from Gaelic dubh ‘black’ (see Duff). Danish and Swedish: generally, probably the English and Scottish name, but in some cases perhaps a variant spelling of Blak, a nickname from blak ‘black’. In some cases, a translation of various names meaning ‘black’, for example German and Jewish Schwarz.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Back, Blick, Blake, Block, Slack, Blank, Clack, Beck, Flack, Brack

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Black Family Origin

Where is the Black family from?

Location
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You can see how Black families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Black family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Black families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 2,432 Black families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Black's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Black families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Black surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Black

Black Family Occupations

What did your Black ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Black family was Student. Farmer, Labourer and Going To School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Black. The most common Black occupation in Canada was Farmer. 36% of Black's were Farmers.

View Census data for Black | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    36%

  • Labourer

    4%

  • Going To School

    4%

  • Student

    3%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Black ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Black Historical Records

What Black family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Black. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Black census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Black

Passenger List

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Black. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Black immigration records

Draft Card

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Black. For the veterans among your Black ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Black military records

You've only scratched the surface of Black family history.

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Black Life Expectancy

What is the average Black lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Black life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Black in 1940 was 33, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Black

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Black ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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Notable ancestors in the Black Family

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