2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Blinzler
A surname derived from a nickname for a person with a squinting or blinking habit.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Blinzler. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blinzler 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Blinzler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blinzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blinzler
The surname BLINZLER is of German origin, originating in the medieval period. It likely derived from the Middle High German word "blinzeln," meaning "to blink" or "to wink." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone with a distinctive squinting or blinking habit.
The earliest recorded instances of the BLINZLER surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In those times, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or locations, reflecting the practical need for distinguishing individuals within communities.
One noteworthy historical reference to the BLINZLER name can be found in the records of the Franconian city of Nuremberg, where a certain Heinrich Blinzler was mentioned as a respected merchant in the late 15th century. This suggests that the BLINZLER family had already established a presence in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, the BLINZLER name appears in various municipal records across German-speaking territories, indicating the gradual spread and consolidation of the surname. An interesting example is Johannes Blinzler, a scholar and theologian born in Augsburg in 1545, who wrote extensively on religious matters during the Reformation era.
As the centuries progressed, the BLINZLER surname continued to be carried by individuals of note. In the 18th century, Johann Blinzler (1720-1789) was a renowned clock and watchmaker based in the city of Dresden, renowned for his intricate and innovative timepiece designs.
Another prominent figure was Karl Blinzler (1825-1892), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag, the national parliament of the German Empire, in the latter half of the 19th century.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most notable individuals bearing the BLINZLER surname was Josef Blinzler (1888-1944), a Catholic theologian and biblical scholar who made significant contributions to the study of the New Testament. His works, such as "Der Prozess Jesu" (The Trial of Jesus), remain influential in theological circles.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and individuals associated with the BLINZLER surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the medieval German-speaking regions and has since spread to various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blinzler
Among Census respondents with the surname Blinzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Blinzler 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 Blinzler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.1% · 5
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blinzler
Blinzler 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-20 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,929 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 21,929 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 8,261 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 Blinzler 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 | #133,048 | #141,309 | -6.2% |
| Count | 127 | 121 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blinzler bearers went from 127 to 121 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 8,261 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #141,309.
FAQ
Blinzler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blinzler?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Blinzler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Blinzler?
Blinzler ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Blinzler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Blinzler.
Has Blinzler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blinzler went from 127 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Blinzler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blinzler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%). 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 Blinzler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blinzler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.1%). 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 Blinzler (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 Blinzler mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for a person with a squinting or blinking habit. 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 Blinzler (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 many people share the surname Blinzler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.