2000
#10,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,767
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Balentine
Scottish and English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "balaunce," meaning a maker or user of balances or scales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,137 Americans carry the last name Balentine. That puts it at #11,074 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,262 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balentine 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
3.1K
1 in 109,262
Census rank
#11,074
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,736 bearers of the surname Balentine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11074th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balentine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balentine
The surname Balentine has its origins in medieval England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a variant of the name "Valentine," derived from the Latin "Valentinus," meaning "strong" or "healthy." The first recorded instances of this surname appear in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1186, where it is spelled "Balantyn."
During the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century, many French and Norman settlers brought their names to the British Isles. The name Balentine likely emerged as a variant of the French name "Valentin," which was introduced to England by Norman nobles and soldiers. Over time, the spelling evolved to reflect the local English dialects and pronunciations.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Balentine was Sir John Balentine, a knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was a loyal supporter of King Edward I of England and was granted lands in Northumberland for his military service.
In the 14th century, the Balentine family established themselves in the county of Northamptonshire, where they held estates and manors. Records from this period show variations in spelling, including "Balantyne," "Ballantyne," and "Ballanden." A notable member of the family was Sir William Balentine, who served as the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1392.
The name Balentine also has ties to the Scottish Borders region, where it is believed to have derived from the old Scots word "balen," meaning "a dwelling" or "homestead." One of the earliest recorded instances of this variant spelling is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists a "Richard de Balendene" as a landowner in Berwickshire.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals with the surname Balentine gained recognition in various fields. One notable figure was James Balentine, a poet and playwright born in 1552 in Stratford-upon-Avon, who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Another was Sir Robert Balentine, a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company, who lived from 1585 to 1648.
In the 18th century, the Balentine family had a strong presence in the American colonies, with several members playing roles in the Revolutionary War. Captain John Balentine, born in 1742 in Virginia, served in the Continental Army and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.
As the name Balentine spread across different regions, its spelling continued to evolve, with variations such as "Ballantine," "Ballantyne," and "Ballantin" emerging over time. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct identity and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balentine
Among Census respondents with the surname Balentine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Balentine 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 Balentine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 2,184
- Black or African American10.4% · 284
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 125
- Two or more races3.9% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balentine
Balentine appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,032
+265 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 55 places
2020
#11,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,736
-296 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 502 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,627 | 2,767 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,572 | 3,032 | 1.03 | +265 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 55 places |
| 2020 | #11,074 | 2,736 | 0.92 | -296 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 502 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 Balentine 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 | #10,572 | #11,074 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,032 | 2,736 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.92 | -11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balentine bearers went from 3,032 to 2,736 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 502 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,572 to #11,074.
FAQ
Balentine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balentine?
Name Census estimates that about 3,137 living Americans carry the surname Balentine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,262 residents.
How common is Balentine?
Balentine ranks #11,074 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,736 people with the surname Balentine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,137), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Balentine.
Has Balentine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balentine went from 3,032 recorded bearers to 2,736. That is a decrease of 296 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,572 to #11,074.
What does the Census say about the background of Balentine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balentine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Balentine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (2,184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balentine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Black (10.4%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Balentine (2000, 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 Balentine mean?
Scottish and English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "balaunce," meaning a maker or user of balances or scales. 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 Balentine (0.92 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 share the surname Balentine?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.