2000
#1,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,665
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.77
Uncommon Last name
Blanton
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a bleak hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,304 Americans carry the last name Blanton. That puts it at #1,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,031 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blanton 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 Blanton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,031
Census rank
#1,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,938 bearers of the surname Blanton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blanton
The surname Blanton has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "blaec" and "tun," which translate to "black" and "enclosure" or "farmstead," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who resided in a settlement with a dark or blackened enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1191, where it appears as "Blakenton." This variant spelling reinforces the connection between the name and the Old English words for "black" and "enclosure."
The Blanton surname is particularly associated with the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. It is possible that the name originated in one of these areas before gradually spreading throughout the country.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Blakenton," "Blauntone," and "Blauntun." These spellings reflect the linguistic evolution of the name over time, as well as regional variations in pronunciation and orthography.
One notable figure bearing the Blanton surname was Sir John Blount (or Blount of Soddington), born around 1349, who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and held various positions of authority during the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV.
Another prominent individual was Sir Walter Blount (c. 1420-1474), a soldier and supporter of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. He played a significant role in the Battle of Towton in 1461, which secured the throne for Edward IV.
In the 16th century, the surname was recorded as "Blaunton" in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1524. This spelling variation further illustrates the fluid nature of surnames during that era.
James Blanton (c. 1600-1670), an early settler in Virginia, was among the first recorded individuals with this surname in the American colonies. He arrived in Virginia around 1635 and established a plantation in what is now Prince George County.
During the 18th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Blaunton," "Blauntoun," and "Blauntown." One notable figure from this period was Joseph Blount (1717-1766), a colonial American merchant and landowner in North Carolina.
As the surname spread across the English-speaking world, it continued to evolve and adapt to local dialects and preferences. While the exact origins of the name may be obscured by the passage of time, its historical significance lies in its connection to the linguistic roots of Old English and its enduring presence in various regions and contexts throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blanton
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blanton 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 Blanton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 18,652
- Black or African American10.8% · 2,488
- Two or more races4.2% · 955
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 640
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 99
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blanton
Blanton 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
#1,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,154
+489 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 8.19
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#1,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,938
-1,216 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 7.67
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,375 | 23,665 | 8.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,478 | 24,154 | 8.19 | +489 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #1,519 | 22,938 | 7.67 | -1,216 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 41 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 Blanton 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 | #1,478 | #1,519 | -2.8% |
| Count | 24,154 | 22,938 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.19 | 7.67 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blanton bearers went from 24,154 to 22,938 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,478 to #1,519.
FAQ
Blanton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blanton?
Name Census estimates that about 26,304 living Americans carry the surname Blanton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,031 residents.
How common is Blanton?
Blanton ranks #1,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,938 people with the surname Blanton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,304), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Blanton.
Has Blanton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blanton went from 24,154 recorded bearers to 22,938. That is a decrease of 1,216 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,478 to #1,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Blanton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanton, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Blanton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (18,652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blanton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Black (10.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Blanton (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 Blanton mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a bleak hill" in Old English. 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 Blanton (7.67 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 Americans have the surname Blanton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.