Blitz
A German word meaning "lightning" or "flash of light".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Blitz. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Blitz today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Blitz births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Blitz. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Blitz. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,402
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Blitz: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Blitz 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 Blitz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Blitz
The name Blitz originates from the German language and is derived from the word "Blitz," which means "lightning" or "flash of light." This name is believed to have its roots in the Old High German word "blicchen," which means "to shine" or "to gleam."
The earliest recorded use of the name Blitz dates back to the late 18th century, when it was used as a nickname or a surname. It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who were known for their quick movements or swift actions, resembling the speed of lightning.
During the World War II era, the name Blitz gained widespread recognition due to the "Blitzkrieg" military strategy employed by the German forces. Blitzkrieg, which translates to "lightning war," referred to the rapid and overwhelming offensive tactics used by the German army. This association with the war effort may have contributed to the name's popularity in certain regions.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Blitz. One example is Blitz Weinhard, an American brewer and businessman who founded the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon, in the late 19th century.
Another historical figure named Blitz was Blitz Yellen, a Ukrainian-born American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations in the early 20th century.
In the world of sports, Blitz Jones was a professional baseball player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950s and was known for his speed on the base paths.
Blitz Maverick, an American rock musician and songwriter, gained recognition in the 1980s as the lead singer and guitarist of the band "Blitz Maverick and the Lightning Bolts."
Lastly, Blitz von Trapp was a member of the famous Trapp Family Singers, a singing group that gained popularity in the mid-20th century and inspired the musical and film "The Sound of Music."
While the name Blitz may have originated from a specific linguistic and cultural context, it has transcended boundaries and found its place in various parts of the world, often associated with speed, energy, and a sense of dynamism.
People
Blitz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Blitz 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
Blitz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Blitz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Blitz 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Blitz a common name?
We classify Blitz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Blitz most popular?
The single biggest year for Blitz was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Blitz is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Blitz in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Blitz a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Blitz in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Blitz still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Blitz in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Blitz can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Blitz?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Blitz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.