2000
#3,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,752
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.24
Uncommon Last name
Blocker
An occupational surname referring to a person who bleaches cloth or blocks hats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,058 Americans carry the last name Blocker. That puts it at #3,928 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blocker 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
10K
1 in 34,078
Census rank
#3,928
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,771 bearers of the surname Blocker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3928th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blocker
The surname Blocker has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "blocc," which referred to a person who lived near a block or stake used for tying cattle.
This occupational surname initially emerged in rural areas where livestock breeding was a common practice. The earliest known recorded instance of the name Blocker can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from the year 1230, where it appears as "Thomas le Blokkere."
During the Middle Ages, the name was also associated with individuals involved in the production or transportation of wooden blocks used in construction or shipbuilding. Some historical records from the 14th century mention Blockers residing in the coastal regions of Essex and Kent, suggesting their potential involvement in maritime activities.
One notable figure with the surname Blocker was Sir Richard Blocker (1570-1642), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Essex during the reign of King James I. He played a significant role in local politics and advocated for the rights of farmers and rural communities.
In the 17th century, the name Blocker appeared in various parish records across England, with mentions of families in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One interesting reference is found in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1672, where a certain John Blocker is listed as a resident of the village of Bisley.
Another noteworthy individual was William Blocker (1685-1756), a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral. He was known for his extensive writings on religious topics and his contributions to theological debates of the time.
As the surname spread across England, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Bloker, Blokker, and Blacker. Some families with the name Blocker eventually migrated to other parts of the British Isles and even to the American colonies in the 18th century, carrying the name and its history with them.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blocker
Among Census respondents with the surname Blocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Blocker 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 Blocker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.2% · 4,756
- Black or African American36.8% · 3,225
- Two or more races4.4% · 383
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 324
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blocker
Blocker 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
#3,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,149
+397 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.10
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#3,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,771
-378 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 2.93
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,721 | 8,752 | 3.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,874 | 9,149 | 3.10 | +397 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #3,928 | 8,771 | 2.93 | -378 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 54 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 Blocker 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 | #3,874 | #3,928 | -1.4% |
| Count | 9,149 | 8,771 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.10 | 2.93 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blocker bearers went from 9,149 to 8,771 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,874 to #3,928.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blocker
FAQ
Blocker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blocker?
Name Census estimates that about 10,058 living Americans carry the surname Blocker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,078 residents.
How common is Blocker?
Blocker ranks #3,928 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,771 people with the surname Blocker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Blocker.
Has Blocker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blocker went from 9,149 recorded bearers to 8,771. That is a decrease of 378 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,874 to #3,928.
What does the Census say about the background of Blocker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blocker, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Black (36.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Blocker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.2% (4,756 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blocker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.2%), Black (36.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Blocker (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 Blocker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who bleaches cloth or blocks hats. 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 Blocker (2.93 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 Blocker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.