Blalock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The history of the name Blalock begins in the Scottish/English Borderlands with a family of Strathclyde-Briton ancestry. It is a name for a person with dark hair. As such, the Blalock surname most likely evolved from a nickname from the Middle English "blakelok," in turn from the Old English blec, meaning "black," or "dark," and locc, meaning a "lock of hair." 1

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Black Loch, location names in Lanark, Renfrew and Stirling. 2

Early Origins of the Blalock family

The surname Blalock was first found in Wiltshire where Peter Blacloke was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 3

Dusting off more old references, we found Adam Blakelok in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1332 and Robert Blaykelok in Yorkshire in 1431. 4

About fifty years later in Scotland, "William Blakloche, chaplain in the monastery of Dunfermlyne, appears as charter witness in 1483. " 5 The same source notes two of the same name but with very different stories: "Adam Blaiklok of the West Port of Edinburgh was hanged for perjury in 1615, and another Adam Blaiklok was constable of the parish of Kirkpatrick-Tuxta, 1617." 5

Early History of the Blalock family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blalock research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1332, 1400, 1597, 1598, 1637, 1638, 1684, 1721, 1791 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Blalock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blalock Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Blalock has been spelled Blacklock, Blakelock, Blacklocke, Blakelocke, Blaikelock, Blaiklock and many more.

Early Notables of the Blalock family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blalock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blalock Ranking

In the United States, the name Blalock is the 2,146^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6

Blalock migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Blalock Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Samuel T. Blalock, aged 44, who settled in America, in 1905
Simeon T. Blalock, aged 48, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
James W. Blalock, aged 35, who immigrated to America, in 1912
John Blalock, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1913
Elizabeth Blalock, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Blalock (post 1700) +

Justin Christopher Blalock (b. 1983), American football offensive guard for the Atlanta Falcons
Hubert Morse Blalock Jr. (1926-1991), American sociologist
Jolene Blalock (b. 1975), American actress, best known for her recurring role on the series Star Trek: Enterprise
William Leslie "Will" Blalock (b. 1983), American NBA basketball player
Hank Blalock (b. 1980), American former Major League Baseball player who played from 2002 to 2010
Alfred Blalock (1899-1964), American surgeon, best known for the development of the Blalock-Taussig Shunt
Jane Blalock (b. 1945), retired LPGA American professional golfer who had 27 LPGA victories

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. 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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/