2000
#6,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,456
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Blain
A Scottish and Irish topographical surname denoting someone who lived by a blain, a blister or sore.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,315 Americans carry the last name Blain. That puts it at #6,987 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,488 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blain surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,488
Census rank
#6,987
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,635 bearers of the surname Blain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6987th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blain, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blain
The surname BLAIN has its origins in France and dates back to medieval times. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "blain" or "blain", which meant a small sore or blister. This could suggest that the name may have been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who had a distinctive physical feature or mark.
The earliest recorded instances of the name BLAIN can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy and Brittany. It is possible that the name may have also been associated with certain place names or localities that have since been lost to history.
In the 13th century, there are records of a Jean Blain who was a prominent landowner in the Normandy region of France. Another notable figure was Étienne Blain, a French poet and scholar born in 1472 who was known for his literary works and contributions to the Renaissance movement.
During the 16th century, the name BLAIN appeared in various historical documents and records across different parts of France. One notable example is Guillaume Blain, a French explorer and navigator who was part of an expedition to the New World in the late 1500s.
As the name spread through Europe, it also found its way to other countries. In England, there are records of a John Blain who was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of London during the 17th century.
Another notable figure with the surname BLAIN was Jean-Baptiste Blain, a French Catholic priest and biographer who lived from 1651 to 1719. He is best known for his literary works and biographies of influential religious figures of his time.
Throughout the centuries, the surname BLAIN has been associated with various professions and fields, from poets and scholars to explorers and merchants. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a distinct and recognized surname carried by individuals across different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blain
Among Census respondents with the surname Blain, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Blain bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 3,607
- Black or African American13.0% · 604
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 227
- Two or more races3.4% · 157
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blain
Blain appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,764
+308 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#6,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,635
-129 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,941 | 4,456 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,025 | 4,764 | 1.62 | +308 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #6,987 | 4,635 | 1.55 | -129 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 38 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Blain surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,025 | #6,987 | 0.5% |
| Count | 4,764 | 4,635 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.55 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blain bearers went from 4,764 to 4,635 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,025 to #6,987.
FAQ
Blain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blain?
Name Census estimates that about 5,315 living Americans carry the surname Blain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,488 residents.
How common is Blain?
Blain ranks #6,987 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,635 people with the surname Blain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,315), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Blain.
Has Blain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blain went from 4,764 recorded bearers to 4,635. That is a decrease of 129 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,025 to #6,987.
What does the Census say about the background of Blain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blain, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (3,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (13.0%), Hispanic (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Blain (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Blain mean?
A Scottish and Irish topographical surname denoting someone who lived by a blain, a blister or sore. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Blain (1.55 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Blain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.