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

Blessing, 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 Blessing surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blessing in America

Blessing is the 6449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blessing surname appeared 5,263 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Blessing.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blessing 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 Blessing

The surname BLESSING has its origins in England, likely emerging in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bletsian" or "bletsunge," meaning "to bless" or "a blessing," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered a blessing or was particularly blessed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BLESSING can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, which mentions a Adam Blessing. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also refer to a Richard Blessing in Oxfordshire. These early records indicate that the name was already established in different parts of England by the 13th century.

During the medieval period, the BLESSING surname may have been associated with various occupations or roles within the church or religious communities. For instance, a person responsible for bestowing blessings or performing benedictions could have been referred to as a "blessing." However, there is no definitive evidence to support this theory.

In the 16th century, the BLESSING surname appears in various parish records and tax rolls across England. Notable examples include John Blessing, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1540, and William Blessing, a resident of Oxfordshire in 1598.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the BLESSING surname was Sir Robert Blessing, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the early 17th century (born c. 1585, died 1638). Another notable figure was Thomas Blessing, an English clergyman and author who lived in the late 17th century (born c. 1650, died 1706).

In the 18th century, the BLESSING surname gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Blessing, a renowned English mathematician and astronomer (born 1730, died 1804). He made significant contributions to the field of navigation and celestial mechanics.

During the 19th century, the BLESSING family continued to leave their mark in various fields. One noteworthy individual was John Relly Blessing, an English artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits (born 1805, died 1872). Another was Sir Henry Blessing, a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and was knighted for his services (born 1825, died 1898).

These examples illustrate the long and rich history of the BLESSING surname, which has been present in England for several centuries and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various aspects of society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blessing

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

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

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

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