2000
#47,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Blondell
A French surname derived from the word "blond" meaning fair-haired or blonde person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 799 Americans carry the last name Blondell. That puts it at #34,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 428,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blondell 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
799
1 in 428,979
Census rank
#34,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
697
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 697 bearers of the surname Blondell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blondell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blondell
The surname Blondell originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "blondel," which means "little fair one" or "little blonde one." This name was likely given as a nickname to individuals with blonde or light-colored hair.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Blondell can be found in the 13th century. In the year 1273, a man named Jehan Blondel was mentioned in the records of the city of Rouen, in Normandy, France. The name also appeared in various other regions of France during this time, including the Île-de-France and Brittany.
One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Blondell was Jean Blondel (c. 1375-1456), a French architect and engineer who worked on several important buildings, including the Bastille in Paris. He was also responsible for the construction of the Pont Notre-Dame, a famous bridge over the River Seine.
Another prominent individual with this surname was David Blondel (1590-1655), a French Protestant theologian and historian. He was a professor at the University of Amsterdam and wrote extensively on the history of the early Christian church.
In the 17th century, a man named François Blondel (1617-1686) was a renowned French architect and teacher. He served as the director of the Académie Royale d'Architecture and was responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Porte Saint-Denis and the Porte Saint-Martin.
The surname Blondell also has ties to England, where it was sometimes spelled as "Blundell." One notable example is Peter Blundell (1520-1601), an English merchant and philanthropist who founded Blundell's School in Tiverton, Devon.
In the 18th century, a French painter named Jacques-Antoine Blondel (1743-1832) achieved significant recognition for his portraits and historical paintings. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and served as the director of the French Academy in Rome.
Throughout its history, the surname Blondell has been associated with various professions, including architecture, engineering, theology, academia, and the arts. While its origins lie in France, the name has spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blondell
Among Census respondents with the surname Blondell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Blondell 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 Blondell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 576
- Black or African American7.5% · 52
- Two or more races4.4% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blondell
Blondell 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
#42,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 507
+87 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 4,765 places
2020
#34,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 697
+190 bearers (+37.5%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 7,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,485 | 420 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,720 | 507 | 0.17 | +87 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 4,765 places |
| 2020 | #34,899 | 697 | 0.23 | +190 bearers (+37.5%) | Up 7,821 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 Blondell 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 | #42,720 | #34,899 | 18.3% |
| Count | 507 | 697 | 37.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.23 | 37.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blondell bearers went from 507 to 697 (+37.5% change). The surname moved up 7,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,720 to #34,899.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blondell
FAQ
Blondell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blondell?
Name Census estimates that about 799 living Americans carry the surname Blondell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 428,979 residents.
How common is Blondell?
Blondell ranks #34,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 697 people with the surname Blondell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Blondell.
Has Blondell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blondell went from 507 recorded bearers to 697. That is an increase of 190 (+37.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,720 to #34,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Blondell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blondell, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.5%) 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 Blondell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (576 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blondell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Black (7.5%), 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 Blondell (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 Blondell mean?
A French surname derived from the word "blond" meaning fair-haired or blonde person. 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 Blondell (0.23 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 Blondell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.