Blough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Blough is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a blower, or one who plays the horn. 1

Early Origins of the Blough family

The surname Blough was first found in Staffordshire at Bloore-in-Tyrley or Blore Heath, a sparsely populated area of farmland best known as the site of the first major battle in the English Wars of the Roses fought on 23 September 1459. 2

This parish in the north division of the hundred of Totmonslow, which was known as Blore or Blore-Roy dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was recorded as Blora 3 and literally meant "place at the swelling or hill." 4

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names. Randulf Bla was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202 and later in Huntingdonshire, Roger Blowe was listed there in 1271. Up in Yorkshire, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 included an entry for Thomas Blaue. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following entries for the family: Henry Blowe, Cambridgeshire; Isabella Blowe, Oxfordshire; and William Blowe, Oxfordshire. 1

In Somerset, there was one entry, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III), that of John Blowe. 6

Early History of the Blough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blough research. Another 303 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1459, 1548, 1574, 1575, 1618, 1639, 1640, 1648, 1649, 1662, 1669, 1701, 1708 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Blough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blough Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Blough include Bloor, Blore, Bloare, Bloore, Blour, Bloure and others.

Early Notables of the Blough family

Distinguished members of the family include John Blow (1649-1708), an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. He "is said by all his biographers to have been born at North Colfingham, in Nottinghamshire, in 1648, but the registers of that parish...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blough Ranking

In the United States, the name Blough is the 11,268^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Blough migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Blough were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Blough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benghan Blough, aged 6, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1863 8
Lamual Blough, aged 7, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1863 8
Frank Blough, aged 45, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1863 8
Margt Blough, aged 45, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1863 8
Mary Ann Blough, aged 5, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1863 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blough Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas G. Blough, aged 20, settler from England who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Caronia" in 1910 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Blough (post 1700) +

John J. Blough, American production assistant, known for She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985), He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) and He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)
Doug Blough, American actor, known for Perception (2008) and Bridging the Gap: The Beverly Morgan Story (2011)
Tim Blough, American writer, known for In the Brief (2019), One Meal at a Time (2014) and Dark Horizon (2007)
Roger M. Blough (1904-1985), American businessman, Chairman & CEO of U.S. Steel (1955-1969), eponym of the MV Roger Blough
Carman George Blough (1895-1981), American accountant, professor of accounting, and civil servant, inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame in 1954
David Marshall Blough (b. 1995), American NFL football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result