Find out how popular the last name Balboa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Balboa.

Balboa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Balboa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balboa in America

Balboa is the 12339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balboa surname appeared 2,520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Balboa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balboa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Balboa

The surname Balboa is of Spanish origin, originating from the Basque region in northern Spain during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Basque word "balu" meaning "whale" and "boa" referring to a type of snake, likely referring to a location or occupation related to these animals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Balboa appears in the 15th century, with the famous Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475-1519). He was the first European to cross the Isthmus of Panama and view the Pacific Ocean, naming it "Mar del Sur" (South Sea). His explorations and discoveries were pivotal in the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Another notable figure with the surname Balboa was Juan José de Balboa y Quesada (1736-1809), a Spanish naval officer and cartographer who played a significant role in mapping the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Pacific Northwest of North America.

In the 19th century, Andrés Balboa (1819-1891), a Peruvian politician and diplomat, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Council of Ministers of Peru.

The name Balboa is also associated with the city of Panama City, specifically the neighborhood of Balboa, which was named after the famous explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa.

Additionally, the Balboa Islands in Newport Beach, California, were named after the explorer, highlighting the lasting impact of this surname in various geographical locations.

Throughout history, the surname Balboa has been recorded with various spellings, such as Balba, Balva, and Balbuena, reflecting regional variations and linguistic evolution. However, the core meaning and origin of the name can be traced back to the Basque region of Spain and its association with maritime exploration and discovery during the Age of Exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balboa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Balboa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Balboa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Balboa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Balboa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Balboa, please contact us.

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