An English surname, Blankenship comes from the term ’blenkinsop’ which was a region in northern England in the area of Northumberland. This came from the Old English term of ‘blenca’ which meant a hill or hill top. It also describes the occupation of placing planks for ships or bridges. Variations in spelling of Blankenship include Blenkinshipp, Blinkinsop, Blankensop, Blenkinshop, Blankenshaffen, Blinkinsops and Blenkenshipp. In England the concentration of Blankenship individuals is in the northern region, especially in Lancashire county. In Scotland there are very few Blankenship families. Within the United States the Blankenship families originated in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and California. Famous: Lance Blankenship (professional baseball player), Donald Blankenship (president of the Massey Energy Coal Mining Corp.), Bill Blankenship (football coach), Dan Blankenship (architect), Tom Blankenship (musician) and Homer Blankenship (professional baseball player).