Blacker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Blacker is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a fabric bleacher having derived from the Old English word blaecan which literally means to bleach. The first record of the name was with the spelling Blakere in Norfolk in 1047-64, 1 pre-Domesday Book which is quite rare.

Early Origins of the Blacker family

The surname Blacker was first found in Somerset. The name was also a baptismal name as in 'the son of Blacre' or as Blacar which were listed in the Domesday Book. 2 Notwithstanding the claim by the Irish branch of the family that they are descended from Blacar, a Norse chieftain who settled in Dublin, Ireland, sometime around the tenth century, there is no hard evidence of this relationship, and it is unlikely that such a family would have moved northward to Armagh. The Cartularium Abbathiae de Whiteby, Ordinis S. Benedicti has three listings of the name from the 12th century: Richard filius Blacker; Baldwin filius Blacker; and Walterus filius Godfridi filius Blacker. 3

Early History of the Blacker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blacker research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1312, 1630, 1657, 1659, 1660 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Blacker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blacker Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Blacker has appeared include Blacker, Blacre, Blackers, Blaker, Blackre, Blacar, Blaiker, Blackar, Blackire and many more.

Early Notables of the Blacker family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blacker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blacker Ranking

In the United States, the name Blacker is the 13,351^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Blacker family to Ireland

Some of the Blacker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blacker migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Blacker arrived in North America very early:

Blacker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eliza Blacker, who landed in Virginia in 1649 5

Blacker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Blacker, who arrived in New Jersey in 1810 5
Robert Blacker, who landed in New Jersey in 1810 5
Edward Blacker, who arrived in New Jersey in 1810 5
William Blacker, who arrived in Mississippi in 1845 5
Patrick Blacker, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1850
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blacker migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Blacker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Blacker, aged 48, a blacksmith, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Hooghly" 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Blacker (post 1700) +

Irwin Blacker (1942-2007), American author, screenwriter, and teacher at University of Southern California
Robert R. Blacker, American Democratic Party politician, Secretary of State of Michigan, 1891-92; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1896 7
Louis Blacker, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Paita, 1905 7
John H. Blacker, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Ohio State House of Representatives from Ross County, 1897 7
David Blacker, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 2008 7
Benjamin F. Blacker, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1908 7
Terence Blacker (b. 1948), English author, columnist, journalist, and publisher
Sir Cecil Hugh Blacker (d. 2002), British General in the service of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, and an amateur steeplechase jockey
Charles Blacker Vignoles (1793-1875), Irish civil engineer

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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)
South Australian Register Wednesday 21st February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1855.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html