Blaine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The story of the name Blaine is long and rich in history. It begins among the Boernicians of the Scottish/English Borderlands where the name was derived from the Gaelic personal name Bleen, which means yellow. It was also the name of an early Celtic saint.
Early Origins of the Blaine family
The surname Blaine was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Blaine family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blaine research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1561, 1660, 1674 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Blaine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blaine Spelling Variations
Boernician names that evolved in the largely preliterate Middle Ages are often marked by considerable spelling variations. Blaine has been spelled Blain, Blane, Blaine, Blaines, Blahan and others.
Early Notables of the Blaine family
More information is included under the topic Early Blaine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blaine Ranking
In the United States, the name Blaine is the 4,257th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1
Migration of the Blaine family to Ireland
Some of the Blaine family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blaine migration to the United States +
Some of the Boernician-Scottish Clan families who came to North America were Loyalists who went north to Canada after the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border went on to found two of the world's great nations. This century, families with Scottish roots have rediscovered their heritage through highland games and clan societies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Blaine or a variant listed above:
Blaine Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- James Blaine who settled in Pennsylvania in 1740
- James Blaine, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1745 2
- Charles Blaine, who settled in Philadelphia in 1799
Blaine Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Mr. Blaine, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
- James Blaine, who settled in Philadelphia in 1876
Blaine migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Blaine Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Thomas Blaine, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ranger" in 1834
Contemporary Notables of the name Blaine (post 1700) +
- Hal Blaine (1929-2019), born Harold Simon Belsky, an American drummer and session musician most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California and played on 6 consecutive Grammy winners, 1966-1971 3
- Nell Blair Walden Blaine (1922-1996), American landscape painter and watercolorist
- Jerry Blaine (1910-1973), early American bandleader, label owner, record distributor, and singer
- Colonel Ephraim Blaine (1741-1804), Irish-born, American Pennsylvania settler and officer, Commissary-General for the middle district of the Continental Army under General George Washington
- Dr. Edward Homer "Ed" Blaine (b. 1940), American former offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers and former Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Director with the University of Missouri
- Daniel "Dan" Blaine (1891-1958), American professional football player for the Staten Island Stapletons from 1915 until 1924
- Vivian Blaine (1921-1995), American singer and actress, best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production Guys and Dolls (1955) and for her role in the film version with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra
- John J. Blaine (1875-1934), American politician, United States Senator from Wisconsin (1927-1933) and 24th Governor of Wisconsin (1921-1927)
- James Gillispie Blaine (1830-1893), American politician, U.S. Secretary of State (1881 and 1889-1892), great-grandson of Colonel Ephraim Blaine
- David Blaine (b. 1973), born David Blaine White, an American illusionist and stunt performer
- ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The Blaine Motto +
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: Paritur pax bello
Motto Translation: Peace is obtained by war.
Citations +
- "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)
- Hal Blaine. (Retrieved 2011, January 20) Hal Blaine. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Blaine