| ![Show Contents]() Blakney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the Blakney family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived at Blakeney, in the county of Norfolk, or a place of the same name in Gloucester. Early Origins of the Blakney familyThe surname Blakney was first found in Norfolk at Blakeney, a small sea-port, post-town, and parish, in the union of Walsingham, hundred of Holt. "This place was called Snitterley in the time of Henry III., who granted it a market: it assumed its present name in the reign of Edward III." 1 Blakeney consisted of seven villages whose tenant-in-chief was Earl Hugh of Chester. Some of these villages were submerged by the sea by the Middle Ages. Conjecturally, the Blakeneys are descended from the first early Norman noble who held his lands from Earl Hugh. One reference states "Blakeney is a parish in Norfolk, in which county the family had great possessions. " 2 The first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where Adam de Blakeneye from London was listed. Later and further to the north, Johannes Blaunkeney was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3 Nicholas de Blakney was listed in Norfolk in 1392 and later Elizabeth Blakney was listed there in 1515. 4 Early History of the Blakney familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blakney research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1438, 1575, 1672, 1679, 1690, 1702, 1709, 1721, 1729, 1733, 1756, 1761 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Blakney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Blakney Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Blakeney, Blakeny, Blackney, Blakney, Blakny, Blaknie, Blakenie, Blaykney, Blayknie, Blaikney and many more. Early Notables of the Blakney familyMore information is included under the topic Early Blakney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Blakney RankingIn the United States, the name Blakney is the 8,411st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5  Migration of the Blakney family to Ireland
Some of the Blakney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 194 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Blakney migration to the United States | + |
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Blakney name or one of its variants:
Blakney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Samuel Blakney, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1823 6
| Blakney migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Blakney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. David Blakney U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 7
| Historic Events for the Blakney family | + |
- Mr. John Henry Blakney, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 8
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Auxilium meum ab alto
Motto Translation: My help is from above.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
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Blakney migration to the United States 
Blakney migration to Canada 
England
Ireland
