2000
#83,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Blatner
A habitational surname from a place name derived from the Slavic word "blato" meaning "swamp" or "marsh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Blatner. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blatner 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
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Blatner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blatner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blatner
The surname Blatner is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "blähe," which means "to inflate" or "to swell." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or personal characteristic related to inflating or swelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blatner can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1387. The entry mentions a "Hans Blatner," indicating that the name was in use during that time period.
In the 16th century, there are references to the Blatner family in the city of Augsburg, Germany. A notable individual from this time was Johann Blatner (1520-1592), a respected merchant and member of the city council.
The name Blatner appears to have spread across various regions of Germany in the following centuries. In the 18th century, records show a Blatner family residing in the town of Ellwangen, located in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Blatner surname in the Americas was Johann Blatner (1745-1819), who emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the late 18th century. He is considered one of the founders of the Blatner family line in the United States.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Blatner (1810-1885), a German philosopher and professor who taught at the University of Leipzig. His works focused on ethics and the philosophy of religion.
In the 19th century, a prominent Blatner was Wilhelm Blatner (1835-1912), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the original Madison Square Garden.
More recently, in the 20th century, Howard Blatner (1914-1991) was an American psychologist and author who made significant contributions to the field of Gestalt therapy.
Throughout history, the Blatner surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, academics, architects, and psychologists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blatner
Among Census respondents with the surname Blatner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Blatner 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 Blatner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.8% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blatner
Blatner 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
#82,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
+20 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 1,257 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
-11 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 8,475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #83,301 | 210 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,044 | 230 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 1,257 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | -11 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,475 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 Blatner 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 | #82,044 | #90,519 | -10.3% |
| Count | 230 | 219 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blatner bearers went from 230 to 219 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,475 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,044 to #90,519.
FAQ
Blatner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blatner?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Blatner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Blatner?
Blatner ranks #90,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 219 people with the surname Blatner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Blatner.
Has Blatner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blatner went from 230 recorded bearers to 219. That is a decrease of 11 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,044 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Blatner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blatner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Blatner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blatner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.8%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (0.5%). 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 Blatner (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 Blatner mean?
A habitational surname from a place name derived from the Slavic word "blato" meaning "swamp" or "marsh." 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 Blatner (0.07 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 share the surname Blatner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.