2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Balanga
A Filipino surname originating from the town of Balanga in Bataan province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Balanga. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balanga surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Balanga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balanga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.8%) and Black (14.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balanga
The surname Balanga has its origins in the Philippines, specifically in the Tagalog region of Luzon. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 16th century, during the Spanish colonial period.
One theory suggests that Balanga is derived from the Tagalog word "balang," which means "palm tree." This points to the possibility that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived or worked near palm tree groves or plantations.
Another theory traces the name's roots to the town of Balanga, located in the province of Bataan. It is possible that the surname was originally a locative name, referring to people who hailed from or were associated with this particular town.
Historically, the name Balanga can be found in various Spanish colonial records and documents from the Philippines. One notable example is Juan Balanga, a Filipino revolutionary who fought against Spanish rule in the late 19th century.
During the 17th century, a prominent figure named Pedro Balanga was known for his involvement in the establishment of the first Catholic parish in the town of Balanga, further solidifying the name's connection to that region.
In the 18th century, a Filipino writer and poet named Francisco Balanga gained recognition for his works, which explored themes of Philippine culture and identity.
Another notable individual with this surname was María Balanga, a 19th-century educator and advocate for women's rights in the Philippines. She played a pivotal role in establishing educational opportunities for Filipino women during a time of significant social change.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, a Filipino artist named José Balanga gained recognition for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures, which were heavily influenced by traditional Filipino art and mythology.
While the exact origins of the surname Balanga may be subject to different interpretations, its deep roots in the Philippines and its connection to specific regions, historical figures, and cultural traditions are well-documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balanga
Among Census respondents with the surname Balanga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.8%) and Black (14.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Balanga bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Balanga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander53.4% · 62
- White19.8% · 23
- Black or African American14.7% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balanga
Balanga appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+14 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 13,404 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Balanga surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #158,432 | #145,028 | 8.5% |
| Count | 102 | 116 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balanga bearers went from 102 to 116 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 13,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,028.
FAQ
Balanga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balanga?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Balanga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Balanga?
Balanga ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Balanga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Balanga.
Has Balanga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balanga went from 102 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 14 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Balanga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balanga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (19.8%) and Black (14.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Balanga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.4% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balanga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (53.4%), White (19.8%), Black (14.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Balanga (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Balanga mean?
A Filipino surname originating from the town of Balanga in Bataan province. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Balanga (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Balanga?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.