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blanche

Blanche is a feminine given name of French origin meaning white or fair; it derives from the Old French blanche, which in turn comes from the Latin albus. The name has been used across medieval and modern Europe and remains in use in French-speaking communities and beyond.

Notable bearers include Blanche of Castile (1188–1252), Queen of France as wife of Louis VIII; she served

In culture, the name appears in literature and film; most famous is Blanche DuBois, a central character

There are places named Blanche or La Blanche in Francophone regions, reflecting the name’s geographic and historical

as
regent
for
her
son
Louis
IX
during
his
minority.
Another
prominent
bearer
is
Blanche
of
Lancaster
(1345–1368),
an
English
noblewoman,
wife
of
John
of
Gaunt,
and
mother
of
Henry
IV.
In
contemporary
usage,
Blanche
persists
in
France
and
other
Francophone
areas,
and
it
has
many
international
variants
such
as
Blanca
in
Spanish
and
Blanka
in
several
Slavic
languages.
in
Tennessee
Williams's
A
Streetcar
Named
Desire.
The
term
blanche
also
exists
as
a
color
word
in
French
meaning
white,
and
as
a
verb
form
in
English
and
other
languages
in
culinary
and
blanching
contexts.
reach.
The
name
continues
to
be
used
in
various
forms
and
remains
associated
with
historical
royalty,
nobility,
and
literary
characterizations.