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

Blenis, 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 Blenis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blenis in America

Blenis is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blenis surname appeared 177 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 Blenis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blenis 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 Blenis

The surname BLENIS originated in the region of Brittany, located in the northwest of France, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Breton words "blen" meaning "wolf" and "is" meaning "son of", suggesting the name may have been a descriptive nickname referring to a person's behavior or characteristics.

BLENIS is a variant spelling of the more common French surname "Blenis", which can be traced back to the 11th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Cartulaire de Redon, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Redon in Brittany, where a certain "Robertus Blenis" is mentioned in a document dated 1067.

In the late 12th century, the name Blenis is found in the records of the Duchy of Normandy, particularly in the Livre des Bourgeois, a register of the citizens of the city of Rouen. This suggests that the name had spread from Brittany to neighboring regions.

During the Middle Ages, the BLENIS surname was relatively widespread in various parts of Brittany and Normandy, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Yvon BLENIS, a prominent landowner and knight who participated in the Crusades in the late 12th century.

Another notable figure was Marguerite BLENIS, a noblewoman born in the early 14th century, who became the Lady of Penhoët, a prestigious estate in the Duchy of Brittany. Her descendants continued to use the BLENIS surname for several generations.

In the 16th century, a branch of the BLENIS family settled in the village of Plougastel-Daoulas, near the city of Brest in western Brittany. One of their descendants, Jean BLENIS (1587-1653), was a respected merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the local economy.

By the 17th century, the BLENIS surname had also spread to other regions of France, with some individuals bearing the name appearing in records from Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux. One notable individual from this period was Pierre BLENIS (1624-1698), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Avranches in Normandy.

While the BLENIS surname has its roots in medieval Brittany and Normandy, it has since become dispersed throughout France and other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns. Despite its relatively low frequency, the name continues to hold significance as a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the Breton people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blenis

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

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

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

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