2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Blunda
A surname derived from the Italian word "blunda," meaning blonde or fair-haired.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Blunda. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blunda 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Blunda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunda, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blunda
The surname "BLUNDA" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "blund," which means "dull" or "blunt." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with a dull or blunt personality or appearance.
The earliest known record of the name "BLUNDA" dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This document lists a person named Willelmus Blunda, indicating that the name was already established and in use at that time.
During the 14th century, the name "BLUNDA" can be found in various historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1348, which mentions a John Blunda. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by this point.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "BLUNDA" was Robert Blunda, a landowner from Nottinghamshire who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1199. Another notable figure from the 13th century was Walter Blunda, a cleric from Lincolnshire who was mentioned in the Rotuli Litterarum Patentium (Patent Rolls) of 1227.
In the 15th century, the name "BLUNDA" appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence written by members of the Paston family in Norfolk. One of the letters, dated 1472, references a person named Thomas Blunda, indicating the continued presence of the surname in East Anglia during this period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname "BLUNDA." For example, John Blunda (c. 1450-1520) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Another individual of note was Sir William Blunda (1582-1654), a military officer who served in the English Civil War and was knighted for his services.
While the surname "BLUNDA" is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with records spanning multiple centuries and regions. The name's origins as a descriptive nickname reflect the naming practices of the time and provide insight into the lives and personalities of those who bore it throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blunda
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunda, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Blunda 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 Blunda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blunda
Blunda appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Blunda 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blunda bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Blunda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blunda?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Blunda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Blunda?
Blunda ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Blunda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Blunda.
Has Blunda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blunda went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Blunda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunda, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Blunda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blunda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Blunda (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 Blunda mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "blunda," meaning blonde or fair-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 Blunda (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 Blunda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.