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

Blegen, 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 Blegen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blegen in America

Blegen is the 38754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blegen surname appeared 570 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 Blegen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blegen 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 Blegen

The surname BLEGEN is of Norwegian origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of western Norway, particularly around the areas of Møre og Romsdal and Sogn og Fjordane.

One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the form "Bleghen" in a medieval Norwegian manuscript. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have derived from the Old Norse word "blægja," meaning "to blow" or "to blow away," possibly referring to someone who lived in a windy or exposed location.

Another theory suggests that the name could be a topographic surname, referring to a person who resided near a light-colored or bleached area of land. In this case, the name may have its origins in the Old Norse word "bleikr," meaning "pale" or "whitish."

In the 16th century, the name appears in various church records and tax rolls from the regions of Møre og Romsdal and Sogn og Fjordane, with spellings such as "Bleghen" and "Blegen." Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Ola Blegen (c. 1520-1590), a farmer from Ørsta, and Knut Blegen (c. 1540-1615), a landowner from Stryn.

As the centuries progressed, the surname BLEGEN spread to other parts of Norway, as well as to neighboring countries like Sweden and Denmark, where it was often spelled as "Blegen" or "Blägen."

One of the most prominent figures associated with this surname is Theodore C. Blegen (1891-1981), an American historian and author who specialized in Norwegian-American history and was a professor at the University of Minnesota. His works, such as "Norwegian Migration to America" and "Land of Their Choice," significantly contributed to the understanding of Norwegian immigration to the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname BLEGEN include:

1. Carl Blegen (1887-1971), an American archaeologist and professor at the University of Cincinnati, known for his excavations at the ancient city of Troy in modern-day Turkey.

2. Anna Blegen (1911-1991), an American artist and weaver, known for her collaborations with her husband Carl Blegen on archaeological projects.

3. Nils Blegen (1909-1987), a Norwegian-American economist and professor at the University of Minnesota, who specialized in agricultural economics.

4. Knut Blegen (1859-1943), a Norwegian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.

5. Gunnar Blegen (1910-1991), a Norwegian author and journalist, known for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Norway.

While the surname BLEGEN may have evolved over time, it continues to hold a strong connection to its Norwegian roots and the rich cultural heritage of the regions where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blegen

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

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

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

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