Blass
A surname of Yiddish origin referring to someone with a pale complexion.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,194 Americans carry the last name Blass. That puts it at #15,589 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blass surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.2K
1 in 156,223
Census rank
#15,589
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,876 bearers of the surname Blass in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15589th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blass, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blass
The surname Blass is of German origin and dates back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "blas" which means "pale" or "light-colored." The name may have originally been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a pale complexion or light-colored hair.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Blass can be found in various German parish records and census documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, a merchant named Hans Blass is mentioned in records from the year 1532. Another early reference comes from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family with the surname Blass is recorded in the 1612 tax rolls.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Blass has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Johann Blass, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1615 to 1682. He is known for his work on moral philosophy and his defense of Lutheran orthodoxy. In the 18th century, Johann Amadeus Blass (1738-1811) was a highly respected German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg.
In the 19th century, Friedrich Blass (1843-1907) was a prominent German classical scholar and philologist. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and was particularly renowned for his work on the text of the New Testament. Another notable figure was the German sculptor and artist Reinhold Blass (1876-1940), whose works can be found in various museums and public spaces throughout Germany.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Blass was the German-American historian and political scientist Ernst Blass (1890-1986). Born in Berlin, he emigrated to the United States in the 1930s and became a respected scholar of European history and international relations at Stanford University.
While the surname Blass has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world through immigration and family migration. Over the centuries, variations in spelling such as Blas, Blasse, and Blaß have also emerged, reflecting regional dialects and language variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blass
Among Census respondents with the surname Blass, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Blass bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Blass surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1%
- Hispanic or Latino11.7%
- Black or African American5.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2%
- Unknown or suppressed1.0%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Blass surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,001 | #15,589 | 2.6% |
| Count | 1,666 | 1,876 | 12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.64 | 3.2% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Blass bearers went from 1,666 to 1,876 (+12.6% change). The surname moved up 412 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,001 to #15,589.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blass
FAQ
Blass surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Blass?
The surname Blass holds position #15,589 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,194 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Blass surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blass, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (5.0%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.