Blandina
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "delicate" or "gentle".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Blandina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Blandina today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Blandina births was 1916 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Blandina. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Blandina is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Blandinas were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Blandina. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1916
8 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1958 SSA rank
#6,180
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Blandina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Blandina from the 1880s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 24 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Blandina remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Blandina by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Blandina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Blandina
The name Blandina has its origins in Latin. It is derived from the word "blandus," which means "gentle," "kind," or "flattering." The name gained prominence during the early days of Christianity in ancient Rome.
Blandina was a Christian martyr who lived in the 2nd century AD. She was one of the victims of the persecution of Christians in Lugdunum (modern-day Lyon, France) during the reign of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Blandina endured horrific tortures for her faith but remained steadfast until her death. Her martyrdom was recorded in a letter from the churches of Lyon and Vienne, which described her as a "noble athlete."
The earliest recorded use of the name Blandina dates back to the 3rd century AD, when it appeared in Roman inscriptions and manuscripts. In the Middle Ages, the name was popular among Christians, particularly in Italy and France, due to the veneration of St. Blandina.
One of the most notable figures named Blandina was Blandina di Ranieri (1500-1545), an Italian Catholic nun and mystic. She was known for her spiritual visions and her devotion to the Virgin Mary. Another important figure was Blandina Segale (1850-1942), an Italian Catholic nun who founded the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.
In literature, Blandina is a character in the novel "The Last Days of Pompeii" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873). She is portrayed as a Christian girl who faces persecution during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Other notable individuals named Blandina include:
1. Blandina Milburn Hubbard (1839-1905), an American writer and educator.
2. Blandina Jardim (1918-2001), a Portuguese actress and singer.
3. Blandina Raitzin (1871-1962), a Russian-born American actress.
4. Blandina Offhuys (1914-2004), a Dutch actress and comedian.
5. Blandina Rijkens (1846-1919), a Dutch writer and feminist.
The name Blandina, with its Latin roots and Christian associations, has a rich history spanning centuries. It has been borne by saints, nuns, writers, and actresses, carrying the connotation of gentleness and kindness.
People
Blandina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Blandina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Blandina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Blandina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Blandina going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Blandina a common name?
We classify Blandina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 72 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Blandina most popular?
The single biggest year for Blandina was 1916, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Blandina is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Blandina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Blandina in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.