Blakley
A surname most likely from a place-name meaning “dark place” or “black clearing.”
The #5,855 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,347 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Blakley is generally understood as a locational surname, most likely referring to someone who came from a place called Blakley, Blackley, or a similar name. The place-name itself is usually explained from Old English elements meaning “black” or “dark” plus leah, “woodland clearing,” “meadow,” or “open space in a wood.” In other words, the name would originally have meant something like “dark clearing.”
History
The historical record shows the name in forms connected with Lancashire and nearby areas, and the spelling has long varied between Blakley, Blackley, and related forms. Such surnames often began as identifiers for people who moved away from their home settlement and were then known by their place of origin. The modern surname is comparatively uncommon in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The element leah, common in English place-names, often refers to a clearing in woodland rather than an open field.
From the historical record
“Rochdale, 1607 : Wills at Chester, i. 41. lames Buerdsall, of Blakley, 1610: ibid. 41* Adam Buerdsall, of Manchester, 1546 : ibi'l. p. 33.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)