2000
#366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 77,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 28.75
Uncommon Last name
Ball
An occupational surname referring to a rotund or bald person, or a maker or user of balls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 87,160 Americans carry the last name Ball. That puts it at #420 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 25.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,932 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ball 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ball with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
87K
1 in 3,932
Census rank
#420
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
25.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
76K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 76,008 bearers of the surname Ball in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 25.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 420th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ball, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ball
The surname Ball originated in medieval England, deriving from the Old English pre-7th century word 'beal' or 'beall', meaning a rounded hill or elevated ground. This name would have been used to distinguish people who lived on or near such geographical features.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Ball appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. Here, the name is listed as 'Balle' in the county of Suffolk. This early spelling variation highlights the name's longevity and Anglo-Saxon roots.
During the 13th century, the name was found in various regions across England, including Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. Place names like Bawldwin Ball in Staffordshire and Ballinghall in Warwickshire may have contributed to the surname's development and spread.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Ball include John Ball, a influential rebel leader during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Another early figure was Thomas Ball, born around 1590, who served as an English clergyman and became the 37th Master of Christ's College, Cambridge.
In the 17th century, the Ball family established themselves as prominent landowners in Gloucestershire. One member, Sir Peter Ball (1615-1680), served as a Royalist officer during the English Civil War and later became a member of Parliament.
The 18th century saw the rise of George Ball (1765-1856), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Recorder of London and a Baron of the Exchequer. Meanwhile, John Ball (1585-1640), born in Cassington, Oxfordshire, was an influential Puritan minister and one of the earliest writers on the subject of covenant theology.
In the 19th century, Dyer Ball (1796-1869) gained recognition as an English naturalist and writer, publishing works on the flora and fauna of Ireland. Another notable figure was John Ball (1818-1889), an Irish mountain climber and naturalist who made significant contributions to the exploration of the European Alps.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Ball throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and diverse origins across various regions of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ball
Among Census respondents with the surname Ball, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ball 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 Ball surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 60,361
- Black or African American12.1% · 9,199
- Two or more races4.0% · 3,058
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 2,454
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 526
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 410
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ball
Ball 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
#508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 66,059
-11,502 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 22.39
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,008
+9,949 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 25.43
Rank movement Up 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #366 | 77,561 | 28.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #508 | 66,059 | 22.39 | -11,502 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #420 | 76,008 | 25.43 | +9,949 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 88 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 Ball 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 | #508 | #420 | 17.3% |
| Count | 66,059 | 76,008 | 15.1% |
| Per 100K | 22.39 | 25.43 | 13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ball bearers went from 66,059 to 76,008 (+15.1% change). The surname moved up 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #508 to #420.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ball
FAQ
Ball surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ball?
Name Census estimates that about 87,160 living Americans carry the surname Ball. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,932 residents.
How common is Ball?
Ball ranks #420 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 25.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 25 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 76,008 people with the surname Ball. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (87,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 25.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 25.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 25 of them to have the surname Ball.
Has Ball become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ball went from 66,059 recorded bearers to 76,008. That is an increase of 9,949 (+15.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #508 to #420.
What does the Census say about the background of Ball?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ball, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Ball in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (60,361 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ball appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Black (12.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Ball (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 Ball mean?
An occupational surname referring to a rotund or bald person, or a maker or user of balls. 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 Ball (25.43 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 are called Ball?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Ball, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.