BLAKEMORE
Recorded variant spellings include Blake More
Blakemore is a surname of strictly English origin. The name is formed from the Old English words blæc, meaning “black” or “dark”, and mor, meaning “moor” or “marsh.” As a locational surname it indicated that the bearers in medieval times lived near or upon a dark moor or marshland, or had some other notable association with such terrain.
The earliest documented use of the name is the entry of Richard de Blakemore in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1273, during the reign of King Edward the First. This record demonstrates that the surname was already established in the second half of the thirteenth century. In the late fourteenth century a William de Blachomore is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Norwich in 1381, confirming both the persistence of the name and its occasional spelling variations such as “Blachmore” and “Blakemere.”
In the early modern period the surname appears in parish registers throughout the south of England. For example, a christening for Joan Blackmore is found on 24 April 1543 in East Hanningfield, Essex, and a marriage of John Blackmore and Elizabeth Michael is recorded on 25 January 1579 at St. Matthew's, Friday Street, London. These entries show the name’s spread from rural districts to urban centres such as London and the relaxed consistency of spelling across documents.
The surname is tied to several place-names in England. Variants such as Blackmore, Blakemoor, and Blackmoor arise from settlements in Essex, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, and Shropshire. In some instances the suffix mor is replaced by mere, a term for lake or pond, producing the form Blakemere. All of these places share a common topographical feature – a dark moor or marsh – which is reflected in the surname’s meaning.
One of the most celebrated bearers of the surname was the nineteenth‑century novelist and barrister Richard Doddridge Blackmore (1825–1900). Educated at Blundells School in Tiverton and at Exeter College, Oxford, he obtained an M.A. in 1852 and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple the same year. His literary output includes well‑known works such as Clara Vaughan (1864), Cradock Nowell (1866), and the classic Lorna Doone (1869). Blackmore’s career as a writer and lawyer makes him a prominent historical figure associated with the surname.
In contemporary times the surname Blakemore and its variants remain most common within the United Kingdom, particularly in southern England where the original hamlets were located. It is also widely found in the United States, Australia and other former colonies, reflecting the migration of families during and after the industrial and post‑industrial periods. The distribution of the name has shifted over time as a result of migration, changes in national borders, and socio‑political developments, but many bearers can still trace their ancestry back to Britain.
Typical given names associated with the Blakemore surname
Male
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jill
- Joanne
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Blakemore in...
Braille
⠃⠇⠁⠅⠑⠍⠕⠗⠑
Morse
-....-...--.-.-----.-..
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Blakemore are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Wagon Wheel.
There are approximately 4,041 people named Blakemore in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,314th most common surname in Britain. Around 62 in a million people in Britain are named Blakemore.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Blakemore
- Sarah-Jayne Blakemore - Neuroscientist
- Colin Blakemore - Neuroscientist
- John Blakemore - Photographer
- Ian Blakemore - Cricketer
- Cecil Blakemore - Football player (1897 to 1)
- Reg Blakemore - Welsh rugby union and rugby league football player (1924 to 2006)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.