2000
#32,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Blanchett
A surname derived from the French for "white", possibly referring to a person with fair hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 765 Americans carry the last name Blanchett. That puts it at #36,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 448,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blanchett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Blanchett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
765
1 in 448,045
Census rank
#36,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
667
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 667 bearers of the surname Blanchett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blanchett
The surname Blanchett originated in France, deriving from the Old French word "blanchet," which means "whitish" or "pale." It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century, and was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with pale complexion or fair hair.
The name can be traced back to various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy, where it was commonly found in historical records and documents. One of the earliest known references to the name Blanchett appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
In the 13th century, the name Blanchett was recorded in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like survey of landowners conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. This document mentions individuals with the surname Blanchett residing in various counties, including Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
One notable bearer of the name Blanchett was John Blanchett, a English merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from the time, including the Patent Rolls of 1440, which document his involvement in trade and land transactions.
Another notable figure with the surname Blanchett was Sir Thomas Blanchett (1545-1612), an English politician and member of the House of Commons. He served as the Member of Parliament for Grantham from 1588 to 1589 and was known for his involvement in local affairs and governance.
In the 17th century, the name Blanchett was also found in France, where it was sometimes spelled as "Blanchet" or "Blanchetière." One notable French bearer of the name was Pierre Blanchett (1620-1680), a renowned painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
During the 18th century, the name Blanchett began to appear in various parts of the United Kingdom, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Robert Blanchett (1736-1809), a minister and author who wrote several religious texts and sermons.
In the 19th century, the name Blanchett was found in various English-speaking countries, including the United States and Canada, where it was likely brought by French and British settlers and immigrants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blanchett
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Blanchett 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 Blanchett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 507
- Black or African American15.0% · 100
- Two or more races3.9% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Blanchett
Blanchett 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
#32,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 714
+50 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 341 places
2020
#36,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 667
-47 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 3,882 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,609 | 664 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,268 | 714 | 0.24 | +50 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 341 places |
| 2020 | #36,150 | 667 | 0.22 | -47 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 3,882 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 Blanchett 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 | #32,268 | #36,150 | -12.0% |
| Count | 714 | 667 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.22 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Blanchett bearers went from 714 to 667 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 3,882 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,268 to #36,150.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blanchett
FAQ
Blanchett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Blanchett?
Name Census estimates that about 765 living Americans carry the surname Blanchett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 448,045 residents.
How common is Blanchett?
Blanchett ranks #36,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 667 people with the surname Blanchett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Blanchett.
Has Blanchett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Blanchett went from 714 recorded bearers to 667. That is a decrease of 47 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,268 to #36,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Blanchett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blanchett, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Blanchett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (507 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Blanchett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Black (15.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Blanchett (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 Blanchett mean?
A surname derived from the French for "white", possibly referring to a person with fair hair or complexion. 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 Blanchett (0.22 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 common is the surname Blanchett?
See how many people are called Blanchett on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.