NameCensus.

UK surname

Blann

A topographic surname derived from a Celtic word meaning a flat meadow or plain.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Blann surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 175, ranked #21,383, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes and Hove. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Adur, Brighton and Hove and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blann is 271 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

175

2016, ranked #21,383

Peak year

1911

271 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blann had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016, ranked #21,383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 271 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Blann surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blann surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blann 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 219 #13,974
1901 historical 230 #13,851
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 211 #17,048
1998 modern 223 #16,936
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 214 #17,457
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 200 #18,139
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 187 #19,079
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 187 #20,436
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 183 #20,786
2016 modern 175 #21,383

Geography

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Where Blanns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes, Hove and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Adur, Brighton and Hove, Southampton, Eastleigh and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hove Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Adur 004 Adur
2 Brighton and Hove 031 Brighton and Hove
3 Southampton 019 Southampton
4 Eastleigh 007 Eastleigh
5 Stratford-on-Avon 013 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blann

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blann

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blann, 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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Blann is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Blann is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blann falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blann

The surname Blann is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "blænan," which means "to make pale or white." It is believed to have originated in the county of Suffolk, England, during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blann can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, where it was listed as "Blane." This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular trade or occupation related to bleaching or whitening fabrics or materials.

During the 15th century, the name Blann appeared in various historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Thomas Blanne was mentioned in 1459. Additionally, the Hertfordshire Feet of Fines from 1481 included a reference to a John Blanne.

In the 16th century, the name Blann was recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Martin's in Birmingham, where a William Blann was listed in 1573. Around the same time, a John Blann was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1598.

One notable figure associated with the surname Blann was Sir Thomas Blann (1569-1642), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who represented Sudbury in the House of Commons from 1625 to 1629.

Another prominent individual with the surname Blann was John Blann (1642-1712), a renowned English Puritan minister and author who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Bath from 1685 until his death.

In the 18th century, the name Blann appeared in various parish records across England, such as the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Liverpool, where a Thomas Blann was christened in 1732.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blann in North America can be found in the colonial records of Virginia, where a Thomas Blann is listed as a landowner in Henrico County in 1704.

Other notable individuals with the surname Blann include William Blann (1780-1855), an English landscape painter and engraver, and James Blann (1823-1901), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blann 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. Sussex leads with 59 Blanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.58x.

County Total Index
Sussex 59 26.58x
Hampshire 28 10.38x
Surrey 11 1.71x
Devon 8 2.92x
Aberdeenshire 7 5.74x
Monmouthshire 5 5.25x
Durham 4 1.02x
Gloucestershire 2 0.77x
Kent 2 0.45x
Norfolk 2 0.99x
Oxfordshire 2 2.46x
Somerset 2 0.94x
Yorkshire 2 0.15x
Shropshire 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 21 Blanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.89x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 21 46.89x
Portsea 17 32.14x
Broadwater 11 216.11x
Littlehampton 11 621.47x
Coulsdon 8 683.76x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 7 30.69x
Freshwater 5 406.50x
Heene 5 1315.79x
Hove 5 51.33x
Plymouth Charles The 5 41.43x
St Thomas Winchester 5 261.78x
Trelleck 5 1250.00x
Westoe 4 18.01x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 14.21x
Bedminster 2 10.04x
Charlbury 2 219.78x
Goring 2 833.33x
Heigham 2 18.40x
Horton In Bradford 2 9.81x
Kingston By Sea 2 571.43x
Bristol St Augustine 1 23.98x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 217.39x
Clapham 1 6.08x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 22.99x
Erith 1 22.57x
Keymer 1 63.69x
Penge 1 11.89x
Pontesbury 1 72.46x
Rottingdean 1 131.58x
Shanklin 1 125.00x
Wandsworth 1 7.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Harriett 3
Minnie 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Clar.Alice 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Marion 1
Millicent 1
Minne 1
Miriam 1
Nelly 1
Rose 1
Sidonell 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Thomas 7
Henry 5
James 4
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
George 3
Charles 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Amoss 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Hugh 1
John 1
Laurence 1
Lawrence 1
Michael 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Blann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Blann surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016. That gives Blann a modern rank of #21,383.

What does the Blann surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a Celtic word meaning a flat meadow or plain.

What does the Blann map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Blann 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.