Blank History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Blank family's name is derived from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain following the Norman Conquest of island in 1066. Their name originated with an early member who was 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 Blank family
The surname Blank 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 Blank family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blank 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 Blank History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blank Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Blank include Blanch, Blanche, Blanck, Blank, Blance, Blanx and others.
Early Notables of the Blank family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas and Matthew Blanche of the Shetlands; Thomas Blanck, Lord Mayor of London.
John Blanch (c. 1649-1725), of Wotton Court, near Gloucester and Eastington, Gloucestershire, was an English politician, Member (MP) of the Parliament of Great Britain for Gloucester from 1710...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blank Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Blank Ranking
In the United States, the name Blank is the 2,160th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 4
Blank migration to the United States +
In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Blanks to arrive on North American shores:
Blank Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Henry Blank who settled in Virginia in 1701
- Niklaas Blank, who arrived in New York in 1709 5
- Christian Blank, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 5
- Hans Michel Blank, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 5
- David Blank, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1754
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Blank Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Conrad Blank, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 5
- Mr. Blank, who landed in Venezuela in 1842 5
- Daniel Blank, aged 20, who landed in America in 1843 5
- Karl Friedrich Blank, aged 32, who landed in America in 1843 5
- Mrs. Blank, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Harriet"
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Blank Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Katharina Blank, who landed in North America in 1900 5
Blank migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Blank Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Henry Blank, (b. 1872), aged 18, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Taroba" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 5th December 1890 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Blank (post 1700) +
- Rebecca Margaret Blank (1955-2023), American economist and academic administrator, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2013-2022), United States Secretary of Commerce (2012-2013)
- Jessica Blank, American actress, writer, and director
- Julius Blank (1925-2011), American semiconductor pioneer, member of the so-called traitorous eight, founder Fairchild Semiconductor
- Hanne Blank (b. 1969), American historian, writer, editor and public speaker
- Arthur M. Blank (b. 1942), American businessman and a co-founder of the home improvement retailer The Home Depot
- Amanda Blank (b. 1983), born Amanda Mallory, an American singer, rapper and member of the performance art band Sweatheart
- Joani Blank (1937-2016), American entrepreneur, writer and videographer
- Martin Blank (b. 1962), American glass artist
- Marc Blank, American computer game designer
- Harrod Blank (b. 1963), American documentary filmmaker
- ... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Blank family +
Bismarck
- Heinrich Blank (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 7
- Mr. Frederick James Blank, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 8
- Mr. Henry Blank, aged 39, American First Class passenger from Glen Ridge, New Jersey who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 7 9
Citations +
- 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)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
- HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
- Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html