2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bliesener
A habitational name derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bliesener. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bliesener 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Bliesener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliesener, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bliesener
The surname BLIESENER originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Blies," which refers to the Blies River that flows through this region. The suffix "-ener" indicates a person's origin or association with a particular place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BLIESENER surname can be found in the Blieskastel town records, dating back to the 15th century. This town is situated along the Blies River, suggesting that the BLIESENER family may have resided in or near this area.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Johann BLIESENER (1494-1567) was a notable Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in the region. His contributions to the Reformation movement likely contributed to the recognition of the BLIESENER surname.
During the 17th century, the BLIESENER name appeared in various documents and records throughout the Rhineland-Palatinate region. One notable individual was Gerhard BLIESENER (1629-1691), a respected jurist and author who published several works on legal matters.
In the 18th century, the BLIESENER surname gained further recognition with the birth of Karl BLIESENER (1738-1802), a celebrated composer and musician who served as the court Kapellmeister (music director) in Mannheim.
Another noteworthy figure was Friedrich BLIESENER (1783-1857), a renowned educator and philanthropist who established several schools and institutions dedicated to the education of underprivileged children in the region.
As the BLIESENER family members migrated to different parts of Germany and beyond, the surname underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Bliesner, Bliesener, or Blissener. However, the core origin and meaning remained tied to the Blies River region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bliesener
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliesener, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bliesener 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 Bliesener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 98
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bliesener
Bliesener 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,721 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,721 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 13,072 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 Bliesener 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 | #135,593 | #148,665 | -9.6% |
| Count | 124 | 111 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bliesener bearers went from 124 to 111 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 13,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bliesener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bliesener?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bliesener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bliesener?
Bliesener ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Bliesener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bliesener.
Has Bliesener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bliesener went from 124 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bliesener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliesener, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bliesener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bliesener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Black (2.7%). 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 Bliesener (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 Bliesener mean?
A habitational name derived from a place name in Germany. 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 Bliesener (0.04 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 common is the surname Bliesener?
See how many people have the last name Bliesener on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.