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Blanchard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Blanchard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The first bearer of the name Blanchard most likely took on this name based on an early member of the family who was a person with a whitish, or white appearance having derived from the Old French word blanchart. Experts theorize that Blanchard may have also been a nickname for someone with an exceptionally pure character, since white was the symbolic color of purity during the Middle Ages. Alternatively, the name could have been a nickname for a "white horse." 1

Early Origins of the Blanchard family

The surname Blanchard was first found in Lancashire where they held a family seat from early times at Grimsbargh Hall. "Ponce Blanchard held twelve fees in Hants (Hampshire), granted by Richard I., and Gilbert and William Blanchard had estates in Lincolnshire." 2 Other very early references to the family include: Blanchard de Morba who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1180; Robertus blancard, Rotbertus quippe blancard, who was listed in the Inquisitio Inquests for Suffolk in 1086; and Richard Blanchard who was listed in Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1177. The author continues: "The 1086 example is, however, certainly a nickname, probably identical to Robertus Blancardus." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following early entries for the family: William Blaunchard in Wiltshire; Reginald Blanchard in Yorkshire; and Robert Blaunchard in Lincolnshire. A few years later the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire listed Nicholas Blaunchard in Lancashire in 1332. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus Blaunchard; and Elena Blaunchard. 1

"The name of Blanchard or Blanshard, which also occurs in the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, has long been in the county of Lincoln. John Blauncherde of Lowthe gave £25 for the defence of his country at the time of the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Long before this, in the reign of Edward I., we find the name of Blaunchard in the county in the reign of Henry III. the name also occurred in Wiltshire, and, in fact, Blanchard or Blaunchard is also an old Wiltshire name, occurring in the hundred of Warminster in the 16th century." 4

Early History of the Blanchard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blanchard research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1651 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Blanchard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanchard Spelling Variations

There are many spelling variations of Breton surnames, because the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find references to one individual with many different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Blanchard, Blanchaud and others.

Early Notables of the Blanchard family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was

William Isaac Blanchard (died 1790), an English stenographer...

Blanchard World Ranking

In the United States, the name Blanchard is the 742^nd most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Blanchard is ranked the 380^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,182 people with that name. 6 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Blanchard is the 386^th popular surname. 7 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Blanchard as 275^th with 162 people. 8 France ranks Blanchard as 72^nd with 34,292 people. 9

Blanchard migration to the United States +

Records show the name Blanchard in some of the earliest immigrant records of North America:

Blanchard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Blanchard, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 10
Thomas Blanchard, who arrived in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1639 10
William Blanchard, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1641 10
Mattheus Blanchard, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1660 10
Henri Blanchard, aged 24, who arrived in South Carolina in 1680 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Blanchard, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1712 10
Louis Blanchard, aged 15, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 10
Louis Blanchard, who settled in Louisiana in 1719
Joseph Blanchard, who arrived in New York, NY in 1756 10
Jean Blanchard, who arrived in South Carolina in 1756 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Blanchard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 10
William Blanchard, who arrived in America in 1806 10
William Blanchard, aged 27, who landed in America in 1822 10
Elizabeth Blanchard, aged 25, who arrived in America in 1822 10
Francie Blanchard, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1826 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pierre Blanchard, son of Pierre and Gertrude, who married Marie Galarneau, daughter of Augustin and Marie-Charlotte, in Saint-Michel-D'Yamaska, Quebec on 16th May 1774 11
Pierre Blanchard, son of Pierre and Gertrude, who married Marie-Élisabeth Hogue, daughter of François and Angélique, in Saint-Antoine, Quebec on 9th January 1764 11
Pierre Blanchard, son of Guillaume and Huguette, who married Anne Robichaux, daughter of Alexandre and Anne, in Port-Royal, Quebec on 7th November 1718 11
René Blanchard, son of Guillaume and Huguette, who married Marie Savoie, daughter of Germain and Marie, in Port-Royal, Quebec on 18th January 1708 11
Simon Blanchard, son of Louis and Françoise, who married Marie Joing, daughter of Pierre and Marguerite, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Quebec on 30th November 1748 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Louis Blanchard, who landed in Canada in 1636
Mr. Louis Blanchard, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 5th April 1645 12
Francois Blanchard, who landed in Montreal in 1653
Mr. Louis Blanchard, French labourer travelling to Canada to work for Jacques Pepin arriving on 23rd March 1656 12
Mr. Jean Blanchard, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 23rd March 1665 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Alexandre Blanchard, son of Alexandre and Françoise, who married Marie-Angélique Charon, daughter of Jean and Geneviève, in Saint-Pierre-Ile d'Orléans on 21st September 1727 11
Pierre Blanchard from Poitou settled in Quebec in 1733
Pierre Blanchard, son of Pierre and Andrée, who married Gertrude Dupuis, daughter of François and Marguerite, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 1st June 1733 11
Pierre Blanchard, son of René and Marie, who married Marie Bourc, daughter of François and Catherine, in Beaubassin, Quebec on 15th February 1743 11
Julien Blanchard, son of Pierre and Périnne, who married Marie-Louise Lacroix, daughter of Claude and Marie-Louise, in Quebec on 24th January 1752 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Asa Blanchard, who arrived in Canada in 1831

Blanchard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Blanchard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Blanchard, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Thomas Blanchard, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 14
Mark Blanchard, a carpenter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. William Blanchard, English rope maker who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. William Blanchard, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Blanchard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Blanchard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard H. Blanchard, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Randolph" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand in September 1850 17
Kate E. Blanchard, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blue Jacket" in 1865
Maude M. Blanchard, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blue Jacket" in 1865
Agnes G. Blanchard, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blue Jacket" in 1865

Blanchard migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Blanchard Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William Blanchard, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Blanchard (post 1700) +

Robert Cary Blanchard (1968-2016), American NFL football placekicker
Johnny Blanchard (1933-2009), American baseball player
Helen Blanchard (1840-1922), American inventor who received 28 patents between 1873 and 1915, known for her numerous inventions dealing with sewing machines and sewing technology
George Washington Blanchard (1884-1964), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin (1933-1935)
Frank Nelson Blanchard (1888-1937), American herpetologist, and professor of zoology at the University of Michigan
George Samuel Blanchard (1920-2006), United States Army four-star general, Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1975 to 1979
Erin Blanchard (b. 1989), American gymnast at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Elizabeth D. Blanchard, American former politician, Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives (2002-2010)
Elizabeth Blanchard (1834-1891), American academic, 7th President of Mount Holyoke College (1883-1889)
Edmund Blanchard (1824-1886), American lawyer and prominent businessman
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Blanchard family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Albert Richard Blanchard, American Coxswain from Minnesota, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 19

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html