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

Ballance, 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 Ballance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ballance in America

Ballance is the 11933rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ballance surname appeared 2,622 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 Ballance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ballance 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 Ballance

The surname Ballance originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "ball" meaning "a rounded hill" and "ence" meaning "dweller." Thus, the name would have referred to someone who lived near a rounded hill or a similar geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ballance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Baldewine de Ballance," suggesting that it was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the surname Ballance was prominent in the county of Sussex, where several records mention individuals with this name. For example, a Richard de Ballance was listed as a landowner in the Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1296.

In the 14th century, the surname Ballance appeared in various spellings, such as "Ballaunce," "Ballauns," and "Ballauncey." These variations reflect the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.

One notable individual with the surname Ballance was Sir John Ballance (1839-1893), a New Zealand politician who served as the 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1891 to 1893. He was a prominent figure in the Liberal Party and played a significant role in the country's early development.

Another person of historical significance with the surname Ballance was Sir Robert Ballance (1858-1936), a British civil engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In the 18th century, the Ballance family was well-established in the county of Kent, where several members held positions of influence. For instance, John Ballance (1713-1792) was a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Kent in 1767.

The surname Ballance has also been associated with various place names, such as Ballance Farm in the village of Wrotham, Kent, and Ballance Hill in the town of Ramsgate, Kent. These place names likely originated from individuals with the Ballance surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the surname Ballance has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, including politics, engineering, and agriculture. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migrations and settlements of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ballance

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

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

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

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