Explore the Family Name Blethen
The meaning of Blethen
Welsh: from the Middle Welsh personal name Blethyn (Old Welsh Bledgint, from bleid ‘wolf’ + apparently the mutated form of cint ‘first’), or an Anglicized form of ap Blethyn ‘son of Blethyn’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Blethen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Blethen has seen a modest increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Blethen was ranked 43,798 in popularity with a count of 464 occurrences per 100,000 people. By 2010, it had risen to a rank of 41,426 with a count of 525, representing an increase of 13.15%. The proportion of individuals bearing the Blethen surname also increased by 5.88%, from 0.17 per 100,000 in 2000 to 0.18 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,798 | #41,426 | 5.42% |
| Count | 464 | 525 | 13.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.18 | 5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Blethen
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of people with the surname Blethen identified as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 97.20% in 2000 to 95.62% in 2010. A small fraction identified as having two or more races, decreasing from 1.29% in 2000 to 1.14% in 2010. Meanwhile, Asian/Pacific Islander representation appeared for the first time in 2010 at 0.95%, along with Hispanic representation at 1.71%. There were no recorded instances of the surname among the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities during these census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.2% | 95.62% | -1.63% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.71% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.29% | 1.14% | -11.63% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.95% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |