South Carolina politician (and “unrepentant white supremacist”) Coleman “Coley” Blease held various public offices from the 1890s to the 1930s. The year he had the biggest impact on baby names, though, was the year he became governor of the state: 1911.
That year, he was behind not one but two debuts in the U.S. baby name data.
First, there’s Blease (rhymes with “please”):
- 1913: 20 baby boys named Blease – 19 born in S.C.
- 1912: 12 baby boys named Blease – all born in S.C.
- 1911: 8 baby boys named Blease [debut] – all born in S.C.
- 1910: unlisted
- 1909: unlisted
The surname Blease is likely a variant of Blaise, which can be traced back to the Latin name Blasius, meaning “lisping.”
Second, there’s Colie:
- 1913: 16 baby boys named Colie – 8 born in S.C.
- 1912: 23 baby boys named Colie – 21 born in S.C.
- 1911: 16 baby boys named Colie [debut] – 8 born in S.C.
- 1910: unlisted
- 1909: unlisted
This alternate spelling of the Coley was the top debut name of the year, in fact.
The names Coley and Coleman also saw higher usage — particularly in South Carolina — during the early 1910s.
Finally, a number of babies were given first-middle combos that referred unmistakably to Coley Blease. Some examples:
- Colie Blease Whiteside, b. 1917 in South Carolina
- Coley Blease Woodham, b. 1912 in South Carolina
- Coleman Blease Langford, b. 1912 in South Carolina
What are your thoughts on these names?
Sources:
- “Blease Defends Lynching.” Charlotte News 15 Nov. 1911: 4.
- Coleman Blease – Wikipedia
- Mekelburg, Madlin. “Fact-check: When did it become a crime to cross the U.S. border between ports of entry?” Statesman 12 Jul 2019.
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
- Blaise – Behind the Name
Image: Adapted from Coleman L. Blease (public domain)
