2000
#59,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Blenman
A surname possibly derived from the Old English word "blenc" meaning a white or gray horse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 493 Americans carry the last name Blenman. That puts it at #52,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 695,242 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blenman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blenman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
493
1 in 695,242
Census rank
#52,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
430
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 430 bearers of the surname Blenman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blenman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blenman
The surname Blenman is of English origin, originating in the county of Hertfordshire during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "blæc" meaning "black" and "mann" meaning "man", suggesting that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone with a dark complexion or hair color.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hertfordshire County Records from 1327, which mention a John Blenman residing in the village of Ashwell. The Blenman family is also thought to have owned land in the nearby village of Blenheim, although the connection between the place name and the surname is unclear.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Blenman, Bleneman, and Blenhamn, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that era. One notable individual from this period was William Blenman, a merchant and landowner from Hertfordshire, who lived from approximately 1525 to 1598.
As the Blenman family spread across England, they established roots in other counties, including Essex and Oxfordshire. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the village of Blenheim, near Oxford, and it is believed that they may have had some influence on the naming of the nearby Blenheim Palace, the famous residence of the Dukes of Marlborough.
During the 18th century, several Blenmans achieved notable positions, including John Blenman (1703-1787), a renowned architect who designed several churches in London, and Samuel Blenman (1725-1799), a successful merchant and philanthropist who established a charitable foundation in his hometown of Bristol.
In the 19th century, the Blenman name continued to be present in various parts of England, with individuals such as Joseph Blenman (1812-1892), a respected lawyer and judge in London, and Emily Blenman (1838-1918), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the Blenman surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, tradesmen, professionals, and nobility. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved to become a distinctive and respected surname in its own right.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blenman
Among Census respondents with the surname Blenman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Hispanic (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blenman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blenman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.7% · 244
- White28.1% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 31
- Two or more races7.2% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blenman
Blenman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#53,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 388
+68 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 5,831 places
2020
#52,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
+42 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 1,155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,147 | 320 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,316 | 388 | 0.13 | +68 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 5,831 places |
| 2020 | #52,161 | 430 | 0.14 | +42 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,155 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Blenman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,316 | #52,161 | 2.2% |
| Count | 388 | 430 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blenman bearers went from 388 to 430 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 1,155 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,316 to #52,161.
FAQ
Blenman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blenman?
Name Census estimates that about 493 living Americans carry the surname Blenman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 695,242 residents.
How common is Blenman?
Blenman ranks #52,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 430 people with the surname Blenman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Blenman.
Has Blenman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blenman went from 388 recorded bearers to 430. That is an increase of 42 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,316 to #52,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Blenman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blenman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Hispanic (7.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blenman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blenman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.7%), White (28.1%), Hispanic (7.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Blenman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Blenman mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Old English word "blenc" meaning a white or gray horse. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Blenman (0.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Blenman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Blenman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.