Blanche
Blanche was the 6892nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 51st; the most babies were born in 1917 (2,836). More babies were named Blanche in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Meaning white · French, Germanic
Say it BLANCH /blæntʃ/
- Rank in 2025
- #6,892 girls, up 2,159 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 16girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19172,836 babies
- Total since 1880
- 87,648babies recorded
What does the name Blanche mean?
Blanche comes from Old French blanc, blanche 'white, pale', from a Germanic word (Old High German blanch), as DMNES and Wiktionary note. It was the name of many medieval queens, including Blanche of Castile, mother of Saint Louis of France. Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) is a famous fictional bearer.
blanc (Old French, “white”)blanch (Old High German, “white, shining”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Bianca, Blanca, Branca.
See also: French names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Blanche', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Blanche', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Blanche popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 223 since 1887.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,892 | 16 |
| 2020 | #9,051 | 11 |
| 2010 | #15,272 | 6 |
| 2000 | #8,636 | 11 |
| 1990 | #5,319 | 17 |
| 1980 | #3,625 | 22 |
| 1970 | #1,804 | 49 |
| 1960 | #804 | 165 |
| 1950 | #464 | 307 |
| 1940 | #296 | 458 |
| 1930 | #179 | 1,093 |
| 1920 | #102 | 2,688 |
| 1910 | #74 | 1,288 |
| 1900 | #60 | 1,332 |
| 1890 | #55 | 953 |
| 1880 | #59 | 427 |
How popular is Blanche, counting every spelling?
Blanche has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Blanche?
16 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Blanche (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Blanche born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 529 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Blanche.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Blanche?
About 8,000 people born in the US named Blanche are alive today, with a median age of 76; half are between 67 and 85. That makes Blanche a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Blanche: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Blanche, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Blanche
What does Blanche mean?
Blanche means “white” (French, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Blanche?
Blanche was the 6892nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 51st; the most babies were born in 1917 (2,836). More babies were named Blanche in the 1910s than in any other decade.
Is Blanche a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Blanche in the US.