Blanchard is of French origin, derived from the Old French word 'blanc', meaning white. It was originally an occupational surname for a fuller, one who cleans and whitens wool prior to spinning and weaving. Over time, Blanchard has evolved as a given name, popularized by various notable individuals bearing this name.
The name Blanchard experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years. There were notably high birth numbers in certain periods, such as 18 births each in 1920 and 1921, and again in 1950 with 7 births. However, there were also several years with very few births, including many years with fewer than 6 occurrences. The name's overall popularity appears to have been quite volatile throughout the period covered by these statistics.