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

Balch, 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 Balch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balch in America

Balch is the 7450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balch surname appeared 4,472 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Balch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balch 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 Balch

The surname Balch is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "balc," meaning a ridge or a bank of land. It is thought to have originally been a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a ridge or bank.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Balche." This suggests that the surname was already established in the region by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Baulche" and "Balche," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a "Johannes Balche," indicating the presence of the name in that county as well.

The Balch surname has also been linked to place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Balcombe in West Sussex, which was once known as "Balcheham" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their association with that location.

Among notable historical figures bearing the Balch surname are:

1. John Balch (c. 1579 - 1649), an English Puritan minister who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1623.
2. Benjamin Balch (1688 - 1766), an American Presbyterian minister and author from Maryland.
3. Thomas Balch (1821 - 1877), an American lawyer and author who wrote extensively on genealogy and history.
4. Lewis Balch (1798 - 1861), an American inventor and manufacturer from Rhode Island, known for his contribution to the development of the printing press.
5. William Ralston Balch (1825 - 1918), an American banker and philanthropist from Philadelphia, who founded the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies.

The Balch surname has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Balche, Baulche, and Balche, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations. While its origins trace back to England, the name has spread across the world, carried by individuals who emigrated from their homeland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balch

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

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 Balch 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 Balch 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 Balch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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