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

Balga, 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 Balga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balga in America

Balga is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balga surname appeared 144 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 Balga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balga 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 Balga

The surname Balga is believed to have originated in the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe, specifically in modern-day Bulgaria. It can be traced back to the 9th or 10th century during the First Bulgarian Empire.

Balga is derived from the Old Bulgarian word "balga," which means "swamp" or "marshy land." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked in a swampy area. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name for someone who came from a region known for its swamps or marshes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Balga can be found in the Synodikon of Tsar Boril, a manuscript dating back to the late 13th century. This document lists various Bulgarian nobles and clergy, including a certain Balga, who was likely a prominent figure at the time.

In the 14th century, a Bulgarian nobleman named Balga Terter is mentioned in several historical records. He was a member of the influential Terter family and played a significant role in the political affairs of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

During the Ottoman rule of the Balkans, which lasted from the 14th to the early 20th century, the surname Balga continued to be used by Bulgarian families. One notable individual with this name was Balga Efendiev (1835-1910), a renowned Bulgarian teacher and educator who contributed greatly to the development of modern Bulgarian education.

Another prominent figure with the surname Balga was Georgi Balga (1879-1939), a Bulgarian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religions in the early 20th century.

In the 20th century, the name Balga gained recognition beyond Bulgaria's borders. One example is Dimitar Balga (1908-1985), a Bulgarian-born American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of television technology.

While the surname Balga has its roots in Bulgaria, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, it remains most prevalent in Bulgaria and among Bulgarian communities worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balga

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

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

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

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