2000
#32,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Blanda
A surname meaning "mild" or "gentle" in Spanish or Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 698 Americans carry the last name Blanda. That puts it at #39,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 491,052 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blanda 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.
Bearers in the US
698
1 in 491,052
Census rank
#39,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
609
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 609 bearers of the surname Blanda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blanda
The surname Blanda is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of the country, particularly around the city of Milan. The name likely originated in the late Middle Ages or the Renaissance period, between the 14th and 16th centuries.
One theory suggests that the name Blanda is derived from the Italian word "blando," which means "mild" or "gentle." It may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptor for someone with a gentle or mild temperament.
Another possibility is that the name is connected to the Latin word "blandus," which also means "mild" or "flattering." This could indicate that the surname was given to someone who had a smooth or persuasive manner of speaking or interacting with others.
The earliest recorded instances of the Blanda surname can be found in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries in the Lombardy region of Italy. One notable example is the mention of a Gian Battista Blanda in a land registry from the city of Milan, dated 1487.
Over the centuries, the Blanda name has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Girolamo Blanda (1497-1562), an Italian Renaissance painter known for his religious works and his contributions to the art scene in Milan.
Another prominent figure was Antonio Blanda (1628-1698), a Sicilian nobleman and military leader who served as the Governor of Sicily during the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, Vincenzo Blanda (1808-1873) was an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sicilian Parliament and was an advocate for the unification of Italy.
Moving into the 20th century, Giuseppe Blanda (1910-1981) was an Italian football player who played as a defender for several clubs, including Juventus and the Italian national team.
More recently, Gianni Blanda (born 1952) is an Italian architect and urban planner who has contributed to numerous architectural projects in Italy and abroad.
While the Blanda surname may have originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its deep roots and historical significance remain firmly grounded in the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blanda
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Blanda 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 Blanda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 570
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 24
- Two or more races1.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blanda
Blanda 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
#36,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 610
-52 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 3,927 places
2020
#39,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 609
-1 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,703 | 662 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,630 | 610 | 0.21 | -52 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 3,927 places |
| 2020 | #39,043 | 609 | 0.20 | -1 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 2,413 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 Blanda 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 | #36,630 | #39,043 | -6.6% |
| Count | 610 | 609 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.20 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blanda bearers went from 610 to 609 (-0.2% change). The surname moved down 2,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,630 to #39,043.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blanda
FAQ
Blanda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blanda?
Name Census estimates that about 698 living Americans carry the surname Blanda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 491,052 residents.
How common is Blanda?
Blanda ranks #39,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 609 people with the surname Blanda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (698), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Blanda.
Has Blanda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blanda went from 610 recorded bearers to 609. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,630 to #39,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Blanda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Blanda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (570 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blanda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Blanda (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 Blanda mean?
A surname meaning "mild" or "gentle" in Spanish or Italian. 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 Blanda (0.20 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 Blanda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.