2000
#5,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.27
Rare Last name
Blaine
A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived on a moor or open plain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,993 Americans carry the last name Blaine. That puts it at #5,503 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,014 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blaine 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 Blaine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,014
Census rank
#5,503
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,098 bearers of the surname Blaine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5503rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blaine
The surname Blaine has its origins in France and is derived from the Old French word "blain" or "blein," which means "discolored" or "pale." This name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a light complexion or pale appearance.
The name can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy, France, where it was first recorded as "de Blain" or "de Blein." These early forms suggest that the name may have been associated with a specific place or region within Normandy.
One of the earliest known records of the name Blaine is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to record land ownership and taxation in England. The name appears as "Blainus" and "Blein" in this historic document.
In the 12th century, the name Blaine began to spread across England and other parts of Europe, often taking on different spellings such as "Blayne," "Blane," and "Blain." This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
Notable individuals with the surname Blaine throughout history include:
1. James G. Blaine (1830-1893), an American statesman who served as a U.S. Senator from Maine and was the Republican nominee for President in 1884.
2. Mahlon Dickerson Blaine (1819-1889), an American jurist and politician who served as a judge and as the United States Secretary of the Interior under President Zachary Taylor.
3. Robert Blaine (c. 1459-1536), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Aberdeen and was a prominent figure during the Scottish Reformation.
4. Vivien Blaine (1921-1995), an American actress and singer best known for her role as Miss Adelaide in the original Broadway production of "Guys and Dolls."
5. Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr. (1904-1985), an American man who held the record for the longest personal name in the Guinness Book of World Records until 2012.
Throughout its history, the surname Blaine has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Blain in Brittany, France, and Blaine in Washington, United States, which was named after James G. Blaine. The name continues to be found in many countries around the world, reflecting its enduring presence throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blaine
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blaine 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 Blaine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.5% · 4,663
- Black or African American11.9% · 726
- Two or more races4.2% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 238
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blaine
Blaine 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
#5,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,451
+320 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Down 166 places
2020
#5,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,098
-353 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,231 | 6,131 | 2.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,397 | 6,451 | 2.19 | +320 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 166 places |
| 2020 | #5,503 | 6,098 | 2.04 | -353 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 106 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 Blaine 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 | #5,397 | #5,503 | -2.0% |
| Count | 6,451 | 6,098 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 2.04 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blaine bearers went from 6,451 to 6,098 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,397 to #5,503.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blaine
FAQ
Blaine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blaine?
Name Census estimates that about 6,993 living Americans carry the surname Blaine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,014 residents.
How common is Blaine?
Blaine ranks #5,503 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 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 6,098 people with the surname Blaine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,993), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 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 Blaine.
Has Blaine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blaine went from 6,451 recorded bearers to 6,098. That is a decrease of 353 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,397 to #5,503.
What does the Census say about the background of Blaine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Blaine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (4,663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blaine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.5%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Blaine (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 Blaine mean?
A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived on a moor or open plain. 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 Blaine (2.04 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 are called Blaine?
Find out how many people have the last name Blaine on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.