2000
#860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,764
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.63
Uncommon Last name
Blanchard
A French toponymic surname referring to someone living near a white or bleached piece of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,880 Americans carry the last name Blanchard. That puts it at #937 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,184 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blanchard 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 Blanchard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,184
Census rank
#937
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,521 bearers of the surname Blanchard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 937th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blanchard
The surname Blanchard is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "blanchart," which means "white" or "fair-haired." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with pale skin or light hair.
The earliest known record of the name Blanchard dates back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. It is believed that the name was first used by the Norman aristocracy, who often adopted descriptive surnames based on physical characteristics or location.
The name Blanchard is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the Blanchards were among the Norman settlers who accompanied William to England during the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blanchard can be found in the 12th century, when a knight named Guillaume Blanchard fought alongside Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade (1189-1192).
In the 13th century, a prominent French architect named Hugues Blanchard was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings, including the Château de Vincennes and parts of the Louvre in Paris.
During the 15th century, a French military commander named Jean Blanchard played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was known for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.
Another notable figure with the surname Blanchard was François Blanchard, a French Jesuit missionary who lived in the 17th century. He was sent to the New World and worked among the indigenous populations of Canada and the Great Lakes region.
In the 18th century, Jean-Pierre Blanchard became the first person to cross the English Channel by hot air balloon, accomplishing this feat in 1785 alongside American aviator John Jeffries.
Over the centuries, the name Blanchard has evolved and adopted various spellings, such as Blancherd, Blancharde, and Blaunchard, reflecting regional dialects and language changes. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, such as Blanchardville and Blanchard Springs, further contributing to its geographical spread and diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blanchard
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Blanchard 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 Blanchard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 29,831
- Black or African American9.4% · 3,429
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,379
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,372
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 270
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 240
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blanchard
Blanchard 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
#920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,695
+931 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 12.78
Rank movement Down 60 places
2020
#937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,521
-1,174 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 12.22
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #860 | 36,764 | 13.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #920 | 37,695 | 12.78 | +931 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 60 places |
| 2020 | #937 | 36,521 | 12.22 | -1,174 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 17 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 Blanchard 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 | #920 | #937 | -1.8% |
| Count | 37,695 | 36,521 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 12.78 | 12.22 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blanchard bearers went from 37,695 to 36,521 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #920 to #937.
FAQ
Blanchard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blanchard?
Name Census estimates that about 41,880 living Americans carry the surname Blanchard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,184 residents.
How common is Blanchard?
Blanchard ranks #937 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,521 people with the surname Blanchard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,880), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Blanchard.
Has Blanchard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blanchard went from 37,695 recorded bearers to 36,521. That is a decrease of 1,174 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #920 to #937.
What does the Census say about the background of Blanchard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Blanchard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (29,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blanchard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (9.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Blanchard (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 Blanchard mean?
A French toponymic surname referring to someone living near a white or bleached piece of land. 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 Blanchard (12.22 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 last name Blanchard?
See how many people have the last name Blanchard on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.