Blanc

Blanc
This famous surname with spellings of Blanc, Leblanc, Blanche, (French), Blank (English & Dutch), Bianco, Lo Bianco, (Italian) Blanco, Bianca, (Spanish), Blanck, (German) Blank and Du Blank (Flemish) etc. derives strangely not from the Old French 'blanc', but from an old Frankish-German word of the same spelling dating back to the pre-5th century. The original precise meaning was 'bright or shining', although this seems to have gradually been changed to 'white' in France. As a result it is claimed that the name was then given as a nickname to someone with (prematurely) white hair or a pale complexion. This is arguably true, but it may also be a national reference, in that it the word may have been applied to 'Northmen', i.e. the fair haired, fair complexion, Viking invaders who swept down through Germany, and later into France in the 8th and 9th centuries, eventually settling in what is now 'Normandy', - the country of the 'Northmen'. The surname was first recorded in England towards the end of the 12th Century, (see below)and in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire in 1273, the name is recorded respectively as Blaunche and Blanche. The spelling 'Blank' appears in the 'Letter Books of Cambridgeshire' in 1293. An interesting recording is that of Elizabeth Blanch who on Julky 16th 1635, embarked from London on the ship, 'Alice' bound for Virginia. She was one of the earliest recorded namebearers to enter America. The blazon of the coat of arms has a red field, a cinquefoil pierced ermine, the Crest being a gold leopard's head guardant erased. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nigellus Blanke, which was dated 1196, in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire, during the reign of King Richard 1st, known as 'Richard the Lionheart', 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • blanc — blanc, blanche 1. (blan, blan ch ; le c ne se lie pas : blanc et noir, dites : blan et noir ; excepté dans cette locution où d ordinaire on le fait entendre : du blanc au noir, dites : du blan k au noir ; l s au pluriel se lie : blancs et noirs,… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Blanc — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Adalbert von Blanc (1907–1976), deutscher Flottillenadmiral Adolphe Blanc (1828–1885), französischer Geiger und Komponist Anne Marie Blanc (1919–2009), Schweizer Schauspielerin Bertrand Blanc (* 1973),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Blanc D'œuf — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Œuf. Coupe d’un œuf de poule domestique : le jaune, au centre, est entouré par le blanc …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Blanc d’œuf — Blanc d œuf Pour les articles homonymes, voir Œuf. Coupe d’un œuf de poule domestique : le jaune, au centre, est entouré par le blanc …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Blanc — or le Blanc is a surname of French origin, meaning White . Bearers of the name include the following.* Antoine Blanc, first Archbishop of New Orleans * Antoine le Blanc (19th century), French immigrant to the United States, celebrated murderer *… …   Wikipedia

  • BLANC (L.) — BLANC LOUIS (1811 1882) Né à Madrid, où son père est inspecteur général des Finances du roi Joseph Bonaparte, Louis Blanc se rend à Paris peu après la révolution de 1830, qui ruine sa famille. À Paris, un ami de son père lui donne des cours de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • blanc — bouillon blanc cul blanc fer blanc jean le blanc mont blanc …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Blanc De Bœuf — Le blanc de bœuf est une graisse de bœuf utilisée pour la cuisson des frites. Difficile à se procurer en France[réf. nécessaire], il est commercialisé par la marque belge vandemoortele. BLANC DE BOEUF, OSSEWIT, OX WHITE et OCHSENWEISS sont… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Blanc — Blanc, Jean Joseph Louis * * * (as used in expressions) Blanc, (Jean Joseph Charles) Louis Blanc, Mel(vin Jerome) Mont Blanc …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • blanc — blanc; blanc·mange; le·blanc; …   English syllables

  • Blanc — Blanc, n. [F., white.] 1. A white cosmetic. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 2. A white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables, used esp. for braised meat. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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