Bland

♂ Boy

Pronounced BLAND /ˈblænd/Medium

Meaning: Bland is an English surname pressed into use as a first name. It comes from the Middle English and Latin-rooted word bland, 'gentle, mild, smooth,' and was borne as a family name well before it appeared occasionally as a boy's given name in the American South.Low

In 30 seconds: Bland is an English surname used as a boy's name, from a word meaning 'gentle, mild.' It was rare, peaking in the early twentieth century.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowEnglish

MeaningBland is an English surname pressed into use as a first name. It comes from the Middle English and Latin-rooted word bland, 'gentle, mild, smooth,' and was borne as a family name well before it appeared occasionally as a boy's given name in the American South.

U.S. rank (1980)#5590 ↘ Falling

1980 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 408

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Bland is chiefly an English surname, from the adjective bland, 'gentle, mild, smooth,' and it appears as a boy's given name mainly in the early twentieth-century American South, where surnames were freely used as first names. The everyday modern sense of the word kept it from ever becoming popular.

It was never common, given to only about sixteen boys a year around its peak near 1920, and it had largely dropped away by mid-century.

Did you know? As a surname Bland is old and respectable; as a given name it sat among the many family surnames Southern families used for sons in the early nineteen-hundreds.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Bland — English surname used as given name; word 'bland' = gentle, mild, smooth

Variations

BlandeBlanden

Nicknames

Blan

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Bland…

Boone— a like one-syllable surname name

Cordell— a similar Southern surname name

Hollis— a like old surname first name

Carrel— a similar vintage surname name

Explore names like Bland

By themerare vintage boy surname

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bland mean?

It is an English surname used as a given name, from a word meaning 'gentle, mild, smooth.'

How do you pronounce Bland?

It is said BLAND /ˈblænd/, one syllable.

Is Bland a boy or girl name?

Bland is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Bland?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen boys a year around its early-twentieth-century peak.