Blevens last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Blevens

A locational surname derived from the name of a place, likely meaning "at the bluff".

Blevens, 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 Blevens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Blevens in America

Blevens is the 36477th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Blevens surname appeared 613 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 Blevens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Blevens 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 36477 32417 11.79%
Count 613 669 -8.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.21 0.25 -17.39%

The history of the last name Blevens

The surname Blevens is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "blæven," which referred to a blueish-grey color. This name was likely initially used as a descriptive term for someone who had grey or bluish hair or eyes, or perhaps for someone who dressed in clothes of that color.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Blevyn, Blevyne, and Blevyns, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling in those times. One of the earliest documented mentions of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which list a certain "Johannes Blevyn."

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Blevens was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. This regional concentration suggests that the name may have originated from a specific location or family within those areas.

One notable historical figure bearing the name Blevens was Sir John Blevens, a 15th-century knight who fought alongside King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Another individual of note was William Blevens (1590-1663), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who was active during the English Civil War.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Blevens surname began to spread beyond its northern English heartlands. Records show instances of the name in various parts of the country, including London and the southern counties. One prominent example from this period was Elizabeth Blevens (1625-1703), a Puritan writer and religious activist from Gloucestershire.

Another significant figure was Thomas Blevens (1680-1745), an early American settler who emigrated from England to Virginia in the early 1700s. He established a successful farming and trading business and was one of the founding members of the town of Blevensfield, which later became part of Fairfax County.

As the centuries progressed, the Blevens surname continued to spread across the English-speaking world, with many bearers of the name making notable contributions in various fields, from business and politics to the arts and sciences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Blevens

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

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 Blevens was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 85.64% 525
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.06% 31
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 2.61% 16
Hispanic Origin 5.38% 33

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 85.64% 90.13% -5.11%
Black 5.06% 5.53% -8.88%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 1.35% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.61% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 5.38% 2.09% 88.09%

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

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

"Blevens last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/blevens-surname-popularity/.

"Blevens last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/blevens-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 July, 2025

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

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