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

Balkan, 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 Balkan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balkan in America

Balkan is the 78821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balkan surname appeared 242 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 Balkan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balkan 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 Balkan

The surname Balkan has its origins in the Balkan Peninsula, a geographical region situated in Southeastern Europe. This name is derived from the Turkish word 'balkan,' which translates to 'a heavily wooded, mountainous area.'

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Balkan can be traced back to the 14th century, during the Ottoman Empire's expansion into the Balkan region. As the Ottoman Turks conquered and settled in this area, they brought with them various place names and surnames, including Balkan.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Balkan was Mehmet Balkan, a Turkish military commander who lived in the late 15th century. He was renowned for his role in the Ottoman conquest of the Balkan territories, particularly in present-day Bulgaria and Serbia.

In the 16th century, the name Balkan appeared in several historical records and documents, including the Ottoman tax registers (defter-i khakani) and court records. These records provide insight into the geographical distribution and prevalence of the surname during that period.

Another notable figure bearing the Balkan surname was Hasan Balkan, a prominent Ottoman statesman and diplomat who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1604 to 1606 and played a crucial role in the Empire's diplomatic relations with European powers.

In the 19th century, the surname Balkan gained prominence with the rise of nationalism and the formation of independent Balkan states. One such individual was Petar Balkan, a Bulgarian revolutionary and military leader who fought for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. He was born in 1837 and played a significant role in the establishment of the modern Bulgarian state.

Another notable figure with the Balkan surname was Milan Balkan, a Serbian writer and journalist who lived from 1876 to 1938. He was a prominent literary figure in Serbia and contributed significantly to the development of Serbian literature and journalism during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The surname Balkan has also been associated with various place names and geographical features in the Balkan region. For example, the Balkan Mountains, a major mountain range that stretches across Bulgaria, Serbia, and North Macedonia, is believed to have influenced the surname's origin and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balkan

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!