Blinder

Recorded in various spellings including Blind, Blint, Blindt, Blinde, Blinder and Blindermann, this is a medieval surname of Germanic origins. On the face of it this surname was originally a descriptive name for a blind man as it seems to derive from the pre 10th century word 'blint', and this may be true in some cases. Our research indicates though that where the name was descriptive, it is more likely to have been either a name for a person who worked or helped with blind people, and this would certainly seem to apply to the Blindermann nameholders, or given the robust humour of the medieval times, may have described a 'sleepy person', one who went around, at least metaphorically, with his eyes closed. There is also a possibility that originally the surname may in some cases have described a maker of pancakes from the Slavonic word 'blin'. Medieval 'descriptive' surnames are the most difficult of all to attribute actual meanings. Without being there at the time when the 'naming' was carried out, it can only be at best an inspired guess as to the true meaning. Early examples of the name recordings from surviving German registers include: Ursula Blind, born at Necharkreis, Wuerttemburg, on September 30th 1567, Johannis Henrici Blindt, whose daughter Maria Christina was born at Kaiserworth, Rheinland, on April 1st 1794, and Peter Blint, born at Starkenburg, Hessen, on August 31st 1833.