The beginnings of the Bland family start around the 1100s in England, and the last name of Bland comes from a place called "Bland" that is near Lonsdale. Ancestors who resided in this part of England included people named Thomas de Bland, Edward de Bland, William de Bland, and Richard de Bland. When the Bland family relocated to the James River in Virginia, they typically lived on the Westover and Berkeley plots in Charles City County, Virginia. Peregrine Bland arrived in Virginia in 1642 and resided in Middlesex County. Susanna Bland Pearson (Pierson) and Mary Bland also lived in Middlesex County, Virginia. Roger Bland, also known as Robert Bland, was born in the early part of the sixteenth century, and his son was Adam Bland, who was born in the late 1520s.