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

Balk, 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 Balk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balk in America

Balk is the 9991st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balk surname appeared 3,228 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Balk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balk 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 Balk

The surname BALK is of Dutch and German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old Dutch and Old German words "balk" or "balke," meaning a beam, log, or rafter. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near a prominent wooden beam or to a carpenter or builder who worked with beams.

The earliest recorded instances of the BALK surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various areas of the Netherlands and Germany. In the Netherlands, the name appeared in records from the province of Friesland, where it was spelled as "Balck." In Germany, variations such as "Balke" and "Balken" were found in records from the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BALK surname was Gherardt Balck, a merchant from the city of Groningen in the Netherlands, who was mentioned in a trade document dated 1284. Another notable early bearer of the name was Johannes Balke, a German landowner and farmer from the village of Westerholz in Lower Saxony, whose name appears in a land registry from 1342.

In the 15th century, the name BALK was also associated with the town of Balk in the Dutch province of Friesland, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the surname from the place name. This connection is evident in the case of Pieter van Balk, a notable merchant and ship owner from Balk, who was mentioned in maritime records from the late 1400s.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the BALK surname. One example is Theodorus Balk, a Dutch mathematician and astronomer born in 1668, who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Another is Eduard Balk, a German composer and pianist born in 1859, known for his works in the Romantic style.

In the literary world, the Dutch author and poet Jacobus Balk (1898-1960) gained recognition for his novels and poetry depicting life in the rural Netherlands. Additionally, the American baseball player Howard Balk (1918-1995) played for several Major League Baseball teams during his career in the 1940s and 1950s.

Overall, the surname BALK has a rich history spanning centuries, with its origins rooted in the medieval Netherlands and Germany, and a connection to the construction and carpentry trades. Its bearers have left their mark in various fields, from science and the arts to sports and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balk

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

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

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

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