Contents [hide]

Blanding History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Blanding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Blanding comes from when the family resided at Bland in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Probably "an Anglo-Saxon personal name with the usual local suffix dropped. [cp. Old English blandan, to blend; and the derived blanden-feax, 'having mixed-coloured or grey hair.'] " 1

However, "the adjective bland, mild, gentle is, I think or insufficient antiquity to be the etymon. The Blands of Kippax, at a very early period, resided at and gave name to Bland's Gill, co. York " 2

"This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Bland,' one of the four hamlets of which the town of Sedburgh (Yorkshire) is comprised. It is not a complimentary nickname, but distinctly local." 3

"The Blands of Kippax, at a very early period, resided at and gave name to Bland's Gill, co. York." 2

Early Origins of the Blanding family

The surname Blanding was first found in at Bland or Bland's Gill in the chapel of How Gill and the parish of Sedburg in Yorkshire. One reference claims that name came from the hamlet of Blond. The earliest mention of the name was in 1132 where Richard, son of Hugh Bland of Disford was listed as benefactor relating to the Abbey of Foundations. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Johannes de Bland; Adam de Bland; Matilda Bland, 1379; and Wymerk de Bland. 3

Early History of the Blanding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blanding research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1563, 1604, 1614, 1629, 1642, 1653, 1657, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1668, 1671, 1681, 1686, 1691, 1693, 1700, 1712, 1713, 1715, 1720, 1727, 1743, 1756, 1763, 1928 and 1950 are included under the topic Early Blanding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanding Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Blanding has been recorded under many different variations, including Bland, Blands and others.

Early Notables of the Blanding family

Notables of the family at this time include John Bland (died 12 July 1555) English Protestant clergyman and martyr, rector of Adesham, burnt at the stake; Sir Thomas Bland, 1st Baronet of Kippax Park (1614-1657); Sir Francis Bland, 2nd Baronet of Kippax Park (1642-1663); Sir Thomas Bland, 3rd Baronet of Kippax Park (1662-1668); Sir John Bland, 4th Baronet of Kippax Park (1663-1715); and Sir John Bland, 5th Baronet of Kippax Park (1691-1743), Member of Parliament for Lancashire (1713-1727.) Tobias Bland (1563?-1604), English divine, born in or about 1563, matriculated as a sizar of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. Elizabeth Bland...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blanding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanding Ranking

In the United States, the name Blanding is the 6,506^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Blanding family to Ireland

Some of the Blanding family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blanding migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Blanding or a variant listed above:

Blanding Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Blanding, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 6

Blanding Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Percy Howard Blanding, who immigrated to America, in 1903
R. W. Blanding, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
Susan Teois Blanding, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1905
Lloyd F. Blanding, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1907
Howard Blanding, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Blanding (post 1700) +

Albert Hazen Blanding (1876-1970), United States Army soldier, recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal
Frederick "Fritz" James Blanding (1886-1950), American right-handed pitcher with the Cleveland Naps (1910 to 1914)
Sarah Gibson Blanding (1898-1985), American educator and academic administrator, Vassar College's sixth president (1946 to 1964), its first female president
Donald Benson "Don" Blanding (1894-1957), American poet
Sharif Karim Fajardo Blanding (b. 1976), American-born, Puerto Rican professional basketball player
William Blanding, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, 1856-57 7
Virgil M. Blanding, American politician, Mayor of Rock Island, Illinois, 1887-89 7
Lowrie C. Blanding, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1920 7
Daniel S. Blanding Jr., American politician, American Independent Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 99th District, 1972; American Independent Candidate for Michigan State Senate 31st District, 1974 7

The Blanding Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sperate et virite fortes
Motto Translation: Hope and live boldly.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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