NameCensus.

UK surname

Blanden

A locational surname originating from a place named Blandine in central France.

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Blanden surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 86, ranked #32,570, down from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Haverhill, Little Wratting and Hove. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Harborough and Dacorum.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blanden is 149 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.8%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

86

2016, ranked #32,570

Peak year

1861

149 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Blanden had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016, ranked #32,570.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 149 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Blanden surname distribution map

The map shows where the Blanden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Blanden surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blanden over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 83 #19,181
1861 historical 149 #15,373
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 86 #32,570

Geography

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Where Blandens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Haverhill, Little Wratting, Hove, Halesworth and Woodbridge. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Harborough, Dacorum, Brighton and Hove and St Albans. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Haverhill, Little Wratting Suffolk
3 Hove Sussex
4 Halesworth Suffolk
5 Woodbridge Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
2 Harborough 002 Harborough
3 Dacorum 003 Dacorum
4 Brighton and Hove 003 Brighton and Hove
5 St Albans 007 St Albans

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blanden

These lists show first names that appear often with the Blanden surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blanden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blanden, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Blanden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Blanden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Blanden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Blanden is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blanden falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blanden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Blanden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Blanden

The surname Blanden is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "blanden," which referred to a person with pale or light-colored hair or complexion. This could suggest that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to individuals with these physical characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Blanden surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Blandene." This entry indicates that the name was already established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Blanden family is thought to have been concentrated primarily in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk in East Anglia. This region was known for its significant Anglo-Saxon population, which could explain the Old English origins of the name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Blaunden" and "Blawndene," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir Robert Blanden, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

As the centuries progressed, the Blanden family continued to spread across different parts of England. In the 16th century, records show a John Blanden who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. Another significant figure was William Blanden, born in 1612, who was a respected clergyman and served as the Rector of Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Blanden surname became associated with various places in England, such as Blanden Hamlet in Oxfordshire and Blanden Farm in Hampshire. This suggests that some branches of the family may have taken their names from these locations or owned property in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Blanden surname include:

1. Thomas Blanden (1753-1825), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. 2. Elizabeth Blanden (1785-1860), an English writer and poet whose works often explored themes of nature and spirituality. 3. Sir Henry Blanden (1829-1902), a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament for several years in the late 19th century. 4. Alice Blanden (1867-1942), a prominent early 20th-century suffragette and advocate for women's rights in Britain. 5. George Blanden (1901-1978), a British artist known for his landscape paintings depicting rural scenes in England and Wales.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blanden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blanden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Suffolk leads with 15 Blandens recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.40x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 15 21.40x
Kent 13 6.62x
Essex 7 6.16x
Surrey 7 2.50x
Sussex 7 7.21x
Middlesex 6 1.04x
Norfolk 2 2.26x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.74x
Northamptonshire 1 1.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Woodbridge in Suffolk leads with 9 Blandens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1000.00x.

Place Total Index
Woodbridge 9 1000.00x
Hove 7 164.32x
Newington 6 28.22x
Northfleet 6 346.82x
Bromley 5 167.22x
Bradwell 4 2105.26x
Haverhill 4 645.16x
Bulmer 3 2142.86x
Erith 2 103.63x
Islington London 2 3.59x
Norwich St Saviour 2 645.16x
Snape 2 2000.00x
Chelsea London 1 5.77x
Great Wilbraham 1 909.09x
Ockley 1 833.33x
Paddington London 1 4.73x
St Marylebone London 1 3.25x
Teddington London 1 76.92x
Wellingborough 1 36.76x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Blanden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Ellen 3
Ann 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Deborah 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Ezabella 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Isabilla 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Mabel 1
Maud 1
May 1
Roseann 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Blanden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 4
Robert 4
Frederick 3
William 3
Albert 2
George 2
John 2
Earnest 1
Frost 1
James 1
Jonas 1
Mark 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Blanden households.

FAQ

Blanden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blanden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Blanden surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blanden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016. That gives Blanden a modern rank of #32,570.

What does the Blanden surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place named Blandine in central France.

What does the Blanden map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Blanden bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.