2000
#2,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,706
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.71
Uncommon Last name
Blank
A descriptive surname referring to a person without a family name or who left their name blank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,053 Americans carry the last name Blank. That puts it at #2,681 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,770 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blank 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 Blank with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,770
Census rank
#2,681
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,127 bearers of the surname Blank in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2681st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blank, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blank
The surname BLANK is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "blanc," meaning "white" or "pale." It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive nickname for someone with a pale complexion or fair hair.
The earliest recorded instances of the BLANK surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a Robert le Blank and a William le Blank are mentioned. In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire as Blaunke.
One of the earliest known bearers of the BLANK surname was Richard le Blank, a landowner in Oxfordshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for the county in 1268. Another early record is that of John le Blank, a merchant from Bristol, whose name appears in the city's Guild Rolls in 1312.
The BLANK surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Sir Thomas Blank (c. 1450-1518) was a prominent English soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VII and Henry VIII. He fought in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and was later appointed as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.
In the literary world, the English poet and playwright Matthias Blank (1605-1681) was a renowned figure of the 17th century. He is best known for his satirical works, including the famous poem "The Sourdoughs of London."
During the American Revolutionary War, Colonel James Blank (1738-1816) was a distinguished officer in the Continental Army. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton, and was later awarded land grants for his service.
In the field of science, the British botanist and explorer Robert Blank (1773-1858) made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand. He was one of the first European naturalists to document the unique plant life of these regions.
The BLANK surname has also been associated with places such as Blankville, a small village in Gloucestershire, which may have derived its name from an early settler with the surname.
Overall, the BLANK surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, writers, scientists, and explorers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blank
Among Census respondents with the surname Blank, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blank 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 Blank surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 12,005
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 431
- Two or more races2.2% · 283
- Black or African American1.9% · 255
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blank
Blank 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
#2,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,050
+344 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 4.42
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#2,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,127
+77 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 4.39
Rank movement Up 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,613 | 12,706 | 4.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,765 | 13,050 | 4.42 | +344 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #2,681 | 13,127 | 4.39 | +77 bearers (+0.6%) | Up 84 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 Blank 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 | #2,765 | #2,681 | 3.0% |
| Count | 13,050 | 13,127 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.42 | 4.39 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blank bearers went from 13,050 to 13,127 (+0.6% change). The surname moved up 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,765 to #2,681.
FAQ
Blank surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blank?
Name Census estimates that about 15,053 living Americans carry the surname Blank. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,770 residents.
How common is Blank?
Blank ranks #2,681 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,127 people with the surname Blank. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,053), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Blank.
Has Blank become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blank went from 13,050 recorded bearers to 13,127. That is an increase of 77 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,765 to #2,681.
What does the Census say about the background of Blank?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blank, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Blank in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (12,005 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blank appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Blank (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 Blank mean?
A descriptive surname referring to a person without a family name or who left their name blank. 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 Blank (4.39 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 Blank?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.