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

Blenker, 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 Blenker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blenker in America

Blenker is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blenker surname appeared 269 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 Blenker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blenker 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 Blenker

The surname BLENKER is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. The name is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "blenker," which referred to someone who wore a brilliant or shining garment, likely a metalsmith or armorer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BLENKER can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a chronicle of world history published in 1493, which mentions a Hans Blenker residing in the city of Nuremberg. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the BLENKER surname spread across various parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In 1589, a Johann Blenker was recorded as a master blacksmith in the city of Augsburg, further reinforcing the connection between the name and metalworking professions.

As German immigrants began to settle in different parts of the world, the BLENKER name traveled with them. One notable bearer of the name was Louis Blenker (1812-1863), a German-American military officer who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Another prominent individual with the BLENKER surname was Wilhelm Blenker (1813-1890), a German-American architect and civil engineer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in New York City, including the Astor Opera House and the Astor Library.

In the realm of literature, the German writer and poet Ernst Blenker (1848-1920) left a lasting impact on the literary scene of his time. His works explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.

While the BLENKER name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its historical roots can be traced back to the skilled metalworkers and armorers of medieval Germany, whose brilliantly crafted garments and armor inspired the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blenker

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Blenker, 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!