Find out how popular the last name Blanken is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Blanken.

Blanken, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Blanken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blanken in America

Blanken is the 33164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blanken surname appeared 690 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Blanken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blanken to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Blanken

The surname Blanken is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "blanken," which means "to shine" or "to gleam." It likely emerged as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who had a fair complexion or bright, shining hair. The name may have also been associated with occupations involving metalworking or polishing, where the skill of making objects shine was prized.

The earliest known record of the Blanken surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various medieval German documents and town records. One notable mention is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a certain Heinricus Blanken is mentioned in a land transaction from the year 1282.

In the 14th century, the Blanken name can be found in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, located in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. The Freiburg Municipal Archives contain several references to individuals with the surname Blanken, including Johannes Blanken, a merchant who lived around 1380.

During the 16th century, the Blanken surname gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where several members of the family were influential merchants and craftsmen. One notable figure was Hans Blanken (1490-1561), a renowned goldsmith and engraver, whose intricate metalwork was highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.

Another notable individual was Matthias Blanken (1621-1698), a German jurist and scholar from the city of Göttingen. He served as a professor of law at the University of Göttingen and authored several influential legal treatises.

In the 18th century, Johann Blanken (1738-1804) was a prominent German botanist and naturalist from the town of Hannover. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and is credited with describing several new plant species.

The Blanken surname also spread beyond the borders of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing this name in neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Belgium. One example is Willem Blanken (1826-1891), a Dutch painter and artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

While the name Blanken is not as common as some other German surnames, it has left a lasting legacy in various fields, from the arts and sciences to craftsmanship and commerce, reflecting the diverse occupations and achievements of those who bore this distinctive surname throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blanken

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Blanken.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Blanken was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Blanken has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Blanken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Blanken, please contact us.

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