2000
#1,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.69
Uncommon Last name
Blanco
A Spanish surname meaning "white," often referring to a person with very fair hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 45,741 Americans carry the last name Blanco. That puts it at #847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,493 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blanco 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 Blanco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
46K
1 in 7,493
Census rank
#847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
40K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,888 bearers of the surname Blanco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blanco
The surname Blanco is of Spanish origin, deriving from the Spanish word "blanco" meaning "white." It first emerged in Spain during the Middle Ages, likely as a descriptive nickname referring to someone with fair hair or pale complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Blanco can be found in the 13th century Catalonian legal document known as the "Llibre de Repartiment de València." This document, dating back to 1238, listed individuals who received lands after the conquest of Valencia by the Crown of Aragon. Several individuals with the surname Blanco appear in this record, indicating the name's prevalence in the region at that time.
The surname Blanco has a long and distinguished history in Spain, with several notable figures bearing the name throughout the centuries. One of the earliest and most prominent was Andrés Blanco (c. 1475 - 1512), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage to the Americas in 1502.
Another notable Blanco was Gaspar Blanco (1500 - 1574), a Spanish theologian and professor at the University of Alcalá. He played a significant role in the Council of Trent, one of the most important ecumenical councils in the history of the Catholic Church.
In the 17th century, Juan Blanco de Paz (1590 - 1650) was a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.
Moving into the 19th century, Ramón de la Sagra y Periz (1798 - 1871), a Spanish botanist and economist, adopted the name Ramón de la Sagra Blanco. He is credited with pioneering studies on the flora and fauna of Cuba, as well as contributing to the development of economic theory.
Lastly, José María Blanco White (1775 - 1841) was a Spanish-born British writer and theologian who played a significant role in the intellectual and religious debates of his time. He is remembered for his criticism of the Spanish Inquisition and his advocacy for religious tolerance.
While the surname Blanco originated in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries with historical ties to Spain. The name has various spelling variations, such as Blanko and Bianco, but its roots can be traced back to the medieval Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blanco
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Blanco 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 Blanco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.6% · 34,134
- White9.2% · 3,663
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 1,361
- Black or African American1.1% · 444
- Two or more races0.6% · 231
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blanco
Blanco 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
#1,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,800
+2,957 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 10.78
Rank movement Up 16 places
2020
#847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,888
+8,088 bearers (+25.4%)
Per 100,000 13.35
Rank movement Up 252 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,115 | 28,843 | 10.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,099 | 31,800 | 10.78 | +2,957 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 16 places |
| 2020 | #847 | 39,888 | 13.35 | +8,088 bearers (+25.4%) | Up 252 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 Blanco 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 | #1,099 | #847 | 22.9% |
| Count | 31,800 | 39,888 | 25.4% |
| Per 100K | 10.78 | 13.35 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blanco bearers went from 31,800 to 39,888 (+25.4% change). The surname moved up 252 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,099 to #847.
FAQ
Blanco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blanco?
Name Census estimates that about 45,741 living Americans carry the surname Blanco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,493 residents.
How common is Blanco?
Blanco ranks #847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,888 people with the surname Blanco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (45,741), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Blanco.
Has Blanco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blanco went from 31,800 recorded bearers to 39,888. That is an increase of 8,088 (+25.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,099 to #847.
What does the Census say about the background of Blanco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blanco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (34,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blanco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.6%), White (9.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Blanco (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 Blanco mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "white," often referring to a person with very fair hair or complexion. 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 Blanco (13.35 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 Blanco?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Blanco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.