Show ContentsBlanck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The family name Blanck is thought to be of Norman origins. Originally, Blanck was a name given to a person who was fair haired or pale or white of complexion. The name stems from the Old French word blanc, which means white.

The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae includes entries for William Blanc and Robert and John Blanche in Normandy, 1180-1195, confirming the Norman origin of the family. 1

Early Origins of the Blanck family

The surname Blanck was first found in Northamptonshire at Peterborough Castle where Blanche of England, LG (1392-1409), also known as Blanche of Lancaster, was an English princess of the House of Lancaster. She was the sixth of the seven children born during the marriage of Prince Henry of Lancaster and his wife. Her brother, Henry of Monmouth would later become King Henry V of England.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names.

The Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire list Alexander Blanche in 1208 and the same rolls but for Oxfordshire, list Matilda Blaunche in 1270. Thomas Blanch was found in Colchester in 1312 and later Matilda Blanache was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: John Blannche, Huntingdonshire; Elianora Blanche, Cambridgeshire; and Henry Blanche, Oxfordshire. 3

The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III includes an entry for Clement Blaunche, Warwickshire, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign) and the Close Rolls have entry for John Blanche, 2 Edward IV. 3

Early History of the Blanck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blanck research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1503, 1592, 1649, 1710, 1713, 1716 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Blanck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanck Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Blanck have been found, including Blanch, Blanche, Blanck, Blank, Blance, Blanx and others.

Early Notables of the Blanck family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Thomas and Matthew Blanche of the Shetlands; Thomas Blanck, Lord Mayor of London
  • Edward Blancks was regarded as among the 'famous English musicians' of the time, one of the ten composers who harmonised the tunes for 'The Whole Booke of Psalmes, with their wonted Tunes as they are...


United States Blanck migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Blanck were among those contributors:

Blanck Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Juriaen Blanck, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1644 4
  • Jurien Blanck, who arrived in New York in 1664 4
  • John Blanck, who arrived in Maryland in 1675 4
Blanck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johanes Blanck, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
  • Johannes Blanck, who landed in New York, NY in 1709 4
  • Cristian Blanck, aged 34, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 4
  • Christian Blanck, who settled in Philadelphia in 1733
  • Jacob Blanck, who arrived in America in 1749 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Blanck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Francis Blanck, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1806 4
  • John Blanck, who landed in Maryland in 1828 4
  • Mr. Blanck, who arrived in America in 1853 4
  • Henry Blanck, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1854 4
  • Herm J Blanck, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 4

Triangle Waist Company
  • Miss Henrietta Blanck (b. 1899), American garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she survived the fire 5
  • Mr. Max Blanck, American Jewish co-owner of the Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; he survived the fire by heading to the roof, he was found guilty of wrongful death at trial 5
  • Miss Mildred Blanck (b. 1906), American who was in the Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she survived the fire 5


  1. 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)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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)
  5. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire


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