Blas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Italy
Spain

The distinguished surname Blas 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 Blas 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 Blas family

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

Early History of the Blas family

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

Blas 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 Blas 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 Blas family

Prominent among members of the family was

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
Gabriele Blasi was Archbishop of Messina in 1764
Giovanni Blasi, Baron of Aquila, was given the title of Marquis of Camporeale in 1792
the Blasio family acquired the feuds of Palizzi and Pietra around Reggio-Calabria in 1750

Blas Ranking

In the United States, the name Blas is the 10,809^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Blas is ranked the 4,873^rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Blas migration to the United States +

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

Blas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Louis Blas, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718 3
Joseph Blas, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1758 3

Blas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lug Blas, aged 35, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1826 3
Sancho Or Blas, who landed in America in 1828 3
Juan Blas, who arrived in New Spain in 1836 3
Andres De Blas, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1836 3
Juana Blas, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1857 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Blas (post 1700) +

Frank Flores Blas Sr. (1941-2016), Guamanian businessman and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Guam (1987-1995)
Fernando Blas González Delgado (1947-2024), Spanish journalist, writer and politician
General Jacinto Blas Treviño González (1883-1971), Mexican military officer who played an important part in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1921
Blas Giraldo Reyes Rodríguez (b. 1955), Cuban librarian and a member of Varela project
Blas Camacho Zancada (1939-2021), Spanish politician who served as a Deputy (1977–1982, 1986–1993); he died from COVID-19
Blas C. Herrero, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Puerto Rico, 1936 (alternate), 1944 4
Blas Armando Giunta (b. 1963), Argentine former footballer with Argentina's national team
Blas Villate y de la Herra (1824-1882), Count of Valmaceda, a Spanish general, Governor of Cuba
Blas Oliveras, Puerto Rican politician and Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Blas Minor Jr. (b. 1966), retired American Major League Baseball player

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html