2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Blockinger
A German surname derived from the word "Block", meaning a stump or block of wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Blockinger. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blockinger 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Blockinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blockinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blockinger
The surname Blockinger is of Germanic origin and is believed to have first emerged in the late medieval period, specifically in the regions of present-day southern Germany and Austria. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be traced back to the 14th century in the city of Nuremberg.
The name Blockinger is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "blokken," which referred to the occupation of a woodcutter or logger. It is believed that the name was initially an occupational surname given to individuals who worked in the forestry industry or were involved in the production of wooden blocks or logs.
Historical records suggest that the name Blockinger was particularly prevalent in the Alpine regions of Austria and Bavaria, where forestry and wood-related trades were significant economic activities. In the 16th century, the name appears in various municipal records and tax rolls from towns such as Innsbruck and Salzburg.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Blockinger is Hans Blockinger, a woodcarver and sculptor who lived in Nuremberg in the late 15th century. His intricate woodcarvings adorned several churches and public buildings in the city, showcasing the craftsmanship associated with the name.
In the 17th century, Johann Blockinger (1632-1699) was a notable figure from Augsburg, Germany, who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy. He published several treatises on celestial mechanics and was a respected scholar of his time.
Another prominent individual with the surname Blockinger was Karl Blockinger (1814-1892), a Bavarian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) during the late 19th century. He was known for his advocacy of civil rights and played a pivotal role in shaping legislative reforms during his tenure.
In the 20th century, the name Blockinger was associated with Max Blockinger (1901-1978), an Austrian chess master and composer. He authored several books on chess strategy and composed numerous chess problems, earning him recognition within the global chess community.
The surname Blockinger can also be found in various place names and geographical locations across southern Germany and Austria, further solidifying its historical roots in these regions. Examples include the village of Blockingen in Baden-Württemberg and the Blockinger Alm, a mountain pasture in the Austrian Alps.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blockinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Blockinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Blockinger 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 Blockinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blockinger
Blockinger 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-13 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,853 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 20,853 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Blockinger 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blockinger bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Blockinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blockinger?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Blockinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Blockinger?
Blockinger ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Blockinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Blockinger.
Has Blockinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blockinger went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Blockinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blockinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Blockinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blockinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Blockinger (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 Blockinger mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Block", meaning a stump or block of wood. 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 Blockinger (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 have the surname Blockinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.