Origin: |
Blake is an English surname which is generally thought to derive from the same source as Black — from the Old English blæc "black, absolutely dark, absorbing all light, the colour of soot or coal." Certainly, Black- and Blake- have frequently interchanged in place-names as surnames such as Blacker/Blaker, Blackman/Blakeman, Blackbrough/Blakebrough, Blackley/Blakeley and Blacklock/Blakelock. Originally, Black would have been used as a nickname to describe someone with a dark complexion or possibly dark-haired. The Oxford Dictionary of Surnames relates the anecdote of Wlfricus Niger (c.1050) who is said to have received this nickname because he "once went unrecognised among his foes as he had blackened his face with charcoal."* The etymology of Blake isn't straightforward, however. The inflected form of blæc, blaca, became blāke in Middle English which was confused with the Middle English blāk(e), itself from the Old English blāc "bright, shining, glittering, pale, wan." So, Blake could equally mean dark-complexioned as it could mean pale. On the other hand, both blæc and blāc have been traced to the Proto-Indo-European root *bhel- meaning "to shine, flash, burn." The connection could be through "fire" (bright) and "burned" (dark). |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Blake Alphonso Higgs (1915-1986), Bahamian Calypso singer also known as Blind Blake. Contemporary: * Blake Clark (born 1946), American actor and comedian. Literature and Other Media: * Blake Carrington, an oil tycoon from the TV series Dynasty. |
Variants: |
Blaike |
Pronunciation: |
BLAYK [key] |
Possible longer forms: |
Blakeley, Blaker, Blakeney, Blakemore, |
Sibling Names: |
Hallie Sienna Erin Heidi Maddison Seren |
Name Lists: |
If you like Blake you may also like: |
Thanks to Amie for requesting this name.