meaning most popular today. The OED adds a specialist usage in naval slang from 1914 onwards for the commander of a warship, shown as "the Bloke" with a capital "B" in its examples.

In Australia, where it was used early on, the term meant "the boss" or someone of status. Sources report that in the US the term was in use by the late 19th century, although it is much less common now, and mainly is used in the sense of "stupid" or "worthless" person. This sense may originate with the Dutch blok, a fool, which is where blockhead