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

Blau, 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 Blau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blau in America

Blau is the 10758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blau surname appeared 2,965 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Blau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blau 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 Blau

The surname "BLAU" is of German origin, derived from the German word "blau," meaning "blue." It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century, and was likely used as a descriptive name for someone with blue eyes or who frequently wore blue clothing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BLAU" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dated around the 14th century. The name is also mentioned in several medieval records and manuscripts from various parts of Germany.

The surname "BLAU" is closely associated with several prominent figures throughout history. One notable example is Johann Blau (1590-1648), a German composer and organist who served as the court composer for the Elector of Saxony. Another noteworthy individual is Johann Leonhard Blau (1696-1776), a German architect and master builder who designed several notable buildings in the Baroque style.

In the 19th century, Johann Blau (1805-1883) gained recognition as a German chemist and pharmacist, known for his contributions to the field of analytical chemistry. Additionally, Carl Blau (1834-1906) was a German philologist and linguist who specialized in the study of Semitic languages.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "BLAU" is the Austrian writer and journalist Max Blau (1884-1944), who was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Vienna during the early 20th century. His works often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.

While the surname "BLAU" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including other European countries, as well as North America and beyond, carried by individuals of German descent or through immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blau

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

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 Blau 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 Blau 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 Blau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!