Bleiler last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bleiler

A surname referring to a bleacher, someone who bleached or whitened textiles.

Bleiler, 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 Bleiler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bleiler in America

Bleiler is the 37591st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bleiler surname appeared 592 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 Bleiler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bleiler 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 37591 34259 9.27%
Count 592 626 -5.58%
Proportion per 100k 0.20 0.23 -13.95%

The history of the last name Bleiler

The surname Bleiler is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have originated from the German word "bleicher," which means "bleacher" or someone who bleaches cloth or fabric.

The name Bleiler was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, where the textile industry was thriving during the medieval period. The surname was likely adopted by individuals or families who were involved in the bleaching process of cloth or linen.

In the 15th century, the name Bleiler appeared in several historical records and documents, particularly in the town of Augsburg, which was a prominent center for textile production and trade. The Augsburg tax rolls of 1497 listed several individuals with the surname Bleiler, indicating their presence in the area.

The earliest recorded person with the surname Bleiler was Hans Bleiler, who was born in Augsburg in 1412. He was a successful textile merchant and is mentioned in several historical documents related to trade and commerce in the region.

Another notable individual was Johann Bleiler (1523-1588), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a prominent figure in the religious debates of his time.

In the 17th century, the name Bleiler appeared in the records of the town of Blaubeuren, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The Blaubeuren church records from 1623 mention a family by the name of Bleiler, suggesting their presence in the area during that period.

One of the earliest known immigrants to North America with the surname Bleiler was Johannes Bleiler, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1749. He settled in the German-speaking community of Lancaster County and is considered one of the earliest Bleilers in the United States.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Bleiler (1768-1842), a German-born poet and writer who lived in Nuremberg. His literary works, including poetry and novels, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the cultural landscape of the region.

In the 19th century, the name Bleiler gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. One such individual was Everett Franklin Bleiler (1867-1948), an American literary scholar and bibliographer known for his extensive work on early science fiction and fantasy literature.

Overall, the surname Bleiler has a rich history rooted in the textile industry of medieval Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 14th century. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including theology, literature, and scholarship.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bleiler

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

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 Bleiler was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.14% 581
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Bleiler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.14% 99.04% -0.91%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Bleiler last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleiler-surname-popularity/.

"Bleiler last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleiler-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 July, 2025

Bleiler last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bleiler-surname-popularity/.

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