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

Balder, 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 Balder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balder in America

Balder is the 47614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balder surname appeared 445 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Balder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balder 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 Balder

The surname Balder is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bald," which referred to someone who was bald or had a shining forehead. Variations of the name include Balders, Balderson, and Baldry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Baldric de Balder in Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Balder was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. It is likely that many Balders were involved in agriculture or rural trades, as the name was commonly found in village and countryside records.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Balder was Sir Robert Balder (c. 1510-1579), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Gloucester. He played a significant role in the city's affairs and was known for his philanthropic efforts.

Another prominent individual was John Balder (1612-1681), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. He was a respected theologian and author of several religious works.

In the 18th century, Samuel Balder (1738-1802) was a successful banker and financier in London. He amassed a considerable fortune and was influential in the city's financial circles.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the surname Balder was carried to other parts of the world through British emigration. For instance, Charles Balder (1856-1932) was a prominent businessman and landowner in South Africa, having emigrated from England in the 1870s.

Throughout history, various place names have been associated with the surname Balder, such as Balder's Green in Hertfordshire and Balder's Hill in Gloucestershire, suggesting the name's deep roots in certain regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balder

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

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

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

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