What's In A Name?
The Blaisdell Thirty-Seven
A single family name — carried across the Atlantic in 1635 — evolved into 37 recognized spellings over nearly four centuries of American life.
When Ralph Bleasdale stepped ashore at Pemaquid Point, Maine on August 14, 1635, his surname was recorded by clerks, ministers, and census-takers who spelled phonetically — each according to their own ear and hand. Over generations, as descendants spread from New England to the frontier, the name drifted further still. The BFNA currently recognizes the following 37 variations of the Blaisdell surname.
All 37 Recognized Spellings
A Note on Spelling
In the 17th and 18th centuries, standardized spelling was a luxury of the educated few. Parish registers, land deeds, and court records were kept by whoever happened to hold the quill — and they wrote what they heard. The result is a rich tapestry of phonetic variants that today serve as clues for genealogical research. If your family name appears in this list, you may well be a descendant of Ralph Bleasdale of Lancashire, England.