Blanc
A French surname meaning “white” or “fair,” often first used as a nickname for someone with light coloring.
The #9,684 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,108 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Blanc comes from French blanc, meaning “white” or “fair,” ultimately from a Germanic word meaning bright or shining. It was commonly used as a descriptive nickname, probably for a person with light hair, pale skin, or a fair complexion. In surname form it can also appear with the article, as Le Blanc, literally “the white one.”
History
The name is well attested in French and French-influenced records, and it was carried into Britain and Ireland by French families, including Huguenot settlers. Historical surname books note both Blanc and the anglicized or altered form Blong in Irish registers. In English-speaking countries, the spelling is often kept French, though pronunciation may vary.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some Irish register keepers reportedly disliked spelling the name Blanc because they read it as “blank,” which helped encourage altered forms like Blong.
From the historical record
“LEBLANC \ (Fr.) The White, Fair [Fr. le, LE BLANC j the ; Lat. ille + Fr. blanc, white ; O.H.Ger. blancQi (Ger. blank} LEBRETON \ (Fr.) The Breton [Fr. le, the ;”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)