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Blay History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Blay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The illustrious surname Blay finds its origin in the rocky, seaswept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Blay is a nickname type of surname for a gentle or merry person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word blide, of the same meaning.

Early Origins of the Blay family

The surname Blay was first found in Cornwall and Devon, where the name could also have been derived from the Cornish "blyth" as in blyth wolf. 1

The "Blighs have been settled in Cornwall from the Norman Conquest to the present time. Norden mentions a branch of this family as residing in his time at Botaden in South Petherwin, in which house their arms still remain. When the Duke of Norfolk held a session of heraldry in this county, the Blighs resided at Bodmin. The Earl of Darnley is a branch of this family. The late John Bligh, Esq. and Admiral Bligh, are descended from the same common stock." 2

Another early records of the family include: Gilbert de Blie, who listed in the Pipe Rolls (of Nottinghamshire in 1200. 1

Early History of the Blay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blay research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1558, 1588, 1600, 1610, 1615, 1619, 1646, 1654, 1685, 1687, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1699, 1703, 1710, 1723, 1725, 1728 and 1775 are included under the topic Early Blay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blay Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Bligh, Blighe, Bly, Blye and others.

Early Notables of the Blay family

More information is included under the topic Early Blay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blay Ranking

In the United States, the name Blay is the 12,891^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Blay is ranked the 4,929^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Blay family to Ireland

Some of the Blay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blay migration to the United States +

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Blay, or a variant listed above:

Blay Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jame Blay, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 5
Eliz Blay, who landed in Virginia in 1657 5
Mary Blay, who landed in Maryland in 1658 5
Edward Blay, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 5

Blay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A P Blay, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Samuel Blay, who arrived in Arkansas in 1898 5

Blay migration to Australia +

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

Blay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Blay, (b. 1792), aged 27, English butcher who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1821 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Blay (post 1700) +

Andre Blay, American businessman, film producer, and studio executive, former CEO of 20th Century Fox Video and Embassy Home Entertainment
J. Benibengor Blay (b. 1915), Ghanaian journalist, writer, publisher and politician
George Blay (b. 1980), former Ghanaian footballer, member of the Ghana National Team (2000-2002)
Edward "Eddie" Blay (1937-2006), Ghanaian boxer in the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics, two-time Commonwealth Games champion (1962 and 1966)
Dr Blay Whitby, English philosopher and technology ethicist at the University of Sussex

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary