Blass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Italy
Spain

The distinguished surname Blass originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Blass family lived in the city of Benevento, which lies east of Naples. Earliest records date back to the 14th century, when the Blasio family branched from this town to Bari, Catanzaro, and Reggio di Calabria.

Early Origins of the Blass family

The surname Blass was first found in the city of Benevento.

Early History of the Blass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blass research. The years 1530, 1688, 1740, 1750, 1755, 1764, 1792, 1819 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Blass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blass Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Blass include Biaggi, Biagi, Biasi, Biasii, Biasio, Biase, Blasi, Blasio, Biagini, Biagia, Blase, Blas, De Biagi, De Biaggi, De Biasi, Debiasi, De Biase, De Blasi, De Blasio, De Blase, De Blasis, De Blasiis, De Biagio, Di Biasi, Di Biasio, Di Biaso, Di Biase, Di Blasi, Di Blas, Blasich, Blasic, Blasig, Blasigh, Blasevich, Biagelli, Biagetti, Beagini, Biagioli, Biagiotti, Biagioni, Biagianti, Biasetti, Biasetton, Biasini, Biasin, Biasioli, Biasiolo, Biasol, Biasotti, Biasiotti, Biasuz, Biasioni, Biasione, Biasone, Biason, Biasiutti, Biasiutto, Biasutti, Biasutto, Blasetti, Blasini, Blasina, Blasoni and many more.

Early Notables of the Blass family

Prominent among members of the family was Gregorio Biagio, who was a lawyer in Genoa in 1530; Antonio Blasi, a soldier in Velletri in the 17th century; the Blasi family in Sicily at this time were barons of Diesi and Sparacia; in 1688 Giuseppe Blasi was Baron of Salina; Clemente Biagi of Cremona was a monk in 1740; Sebastiano Biagini was a famous painter, musician and lawyer in La Spezia in...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blass Ranking

In the United States, the name Blass is the 14,686^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Blass migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Blass or a variant listed above:

Blass Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Blass, who landed in Virginia in 1687 2

Blass Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Blass, who landed in New York in 1709 2
Mrs. John Blass, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 2
Lorentz Blass, who arrived in America in 1742 2
Conrad Blass, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 2
Geo Conrad Blass, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blass Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gabriel Angelo Blass, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1853 2
Christian Blass, who landed in America in 1862 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Blass (post 1700) +

Gregory J. Blass, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 1st District, 1986 3
C. Arthur Blass (1884-1970), American Republican politician, Erie County District Attorney, 1920-24; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 49th District, 1945-60 3

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html