2000
#37,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Blish
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "blæcce", meaning "pale" or "white-haired".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 572 Americans carry the last name Blish. That puts it at #46,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 599,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blish 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
572
1 in 599,221
Census rank
#46,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
499
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 499 bearers of the surname Blish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blish
The surname Blish is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "blæc," meaning "black" or "dark," and may have initially referred to someone with dark hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blish can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Blak." This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled in a more phonetic manner before evolving into its modern form.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Blish. However, it does include entries for places with similar-sounding names, such as "Blachene" in Berkshire and "Blachenesfeld" in Norfolk, which could be related to the name's origins.
In the 14th century, the name Blish began to appear more frequently in various records across England. One notable individual from this period was John Blish, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Shrewsbury during the late 1300s.
During the Renaissance, the name Blish continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable figure was William Blish, a playwright and poet who was born in London in 1567 and is known for his works such as "The Baited Mouse" and "The Merrie Conceited Jests of George Peele."
In the 18th century, the Blish surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir Richard Blish (1718-1792), a British military officer who served in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was knighted for his service and is remembered for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another notable figure from this period was Elizabeth Blish (1756-1832), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in England. Her innovative teaching methods and advocacy for women's education earned her widespread recognition and respect.
As the Blish surname spread across England and beyond, it also appeared in various place names and geographical locations. For example, the village of Blish Hamlet in Gloucestershire is believed to have derived its name from the Blish family who once resided there.
Throughout its history, the surname Blish has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, military officers, educators, and artists. While its origins may be rooted in medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of Blish families who have left their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blish
Among Census respondents with the surname Blish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Blish 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 Blish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 455
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 20
- Two or more races2.2% · 11
- Black or African American1.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blish
Blish 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
#41,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 526
-29 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,671 places
2020
#46,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 499
-27 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 4,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,688 | 555 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,359 | 526 | 0.18 | -29 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 3,671 places |
| 2020 | #46,089 | 499 | 0.17 | -27 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 4,730 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 Blish 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 | #41,359 | #46,089 | -11.4% |
| Count | 526 | 499 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.17 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blish bearers went from 526 to 499 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 4,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,359 to #46,089.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blish
FAQ
Blish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blish?
Name Census estimates that about 572 living Americans carry the surname Blish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 599,221 residents.
How common is Blish?
Blish ranks #46,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 499 people with the surname Blish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Blish.
Has Blish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blish went from 526 recorded bearers to 499. That is a decrease of 27 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #41,359 to #46,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Blish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Blish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Blish (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 Blish mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "blæcce", meaning "pale" or "white-haired". 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 Blish (0.17 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 surname Blish?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.