Balin
A locational surname referring to someone from the Balkan region.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Balin. That puts it at #52,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#52,736
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
393
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 393 bearers of the surname Balin in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Black (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balin
The surname Balin is of English origin, deriving from the medieval given name Balin, which was a diminutive form of the Old English name Balne, meaning "bald" or "shining one". The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
One of the earliest known references to the name Balin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Willelmus Balin. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 record a Hugo Balin, indicating the surname's presence in different parts of the country during the Middle Ages.
The name Balin also appears in several literary works from the Middle English period, most notably in the Arthurian legends of the 14th century. In the famous romance "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory, Balin le Sauvage is depicted as one of the Knights of the Round Table, known for his impulsive and destructive nature.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Balin underwent various spelling variations, such as Ballin, Ballen, and Baling, particularly in parish records and historical documents from counties like Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire. One notable bearer of the name was John Balen (c. 1560-1638), an English historian and author of "A Brief Chronicle of the Barons' Wars" published in 1629.
Other historical figures with the surname Balin include William Balin (fl. 1390), a member of the English Parliament for Gloucestershire, and Richard Balin (c. 1480-1545), a lawyer and landowner who served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire in the early 16th century.
In the 19th century, the Balin surname continued to be present in various parts of England, with notable individuals such as John Balin (1798-1874), a prominent architect from Cambridgeshire, and Thomas Balin (1821-1892), a businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire who funded the construction of several schools and churches in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balin
Among Census respondents with the surname Balin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Black (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Balin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Balin surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1%
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.9%
- Black or African American5.6%
- Hispanic or Latino3.3%
- Two or more races3.0%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Balin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #52,736 | #52,736 | 0.0% |
| Count | 393 | 393 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Balin bearers went from 393 to 393 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #52,736 to #52,736.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Balin
FAQ
Balin surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Balin?
The surname Balin holds position #52,736 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 446 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Balin surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Black (5.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.