2000
#11,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Ballance
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "balaunce," referring to a maker of balances or scales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,611 Americans carry the last name Ballance. That puts it at #12,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ballance 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 Ballance with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,273
Census rank
#12,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,277 bearers of the surname Ballance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballance, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ballance
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballance, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ballance 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 Ballance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 1,925
- Black or African American7.6% · 174
- Two or more races4.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ballance
Ballance 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
#11,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,622
+61 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 612 places
2020
#12,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,277
-345 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 969 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,321 | 2,561 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,933 | 2,622 | 0.89 | +61 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 612 places |
| 2020 | #12,902 | 2,277 | 0.76 | -345 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 969 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 Ballance 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 | #11,933 | #12,902 | -8.1% |
| Count | 2,622 | 2,277 | -13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.76 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ballance bearers went from 2,622 to 2,277 (-13.2% change). The surname moved down 969 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,933 to #12,902.
FAQ
Ballance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ballance?
Name Census estimates that about 2,611 living Americans carry the surname Ballance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,273 residents.
How common is Ballance?
Ballance ranks #12,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,277 people with the surname Ballance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ballance.
Has Ballance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ballance went from 2,622 recorded bearers to 2,277. That is a decrease of 345 (-13.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,933 to #12,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Ballance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballance, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) 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 Ballance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (1,925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ballance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (7.6%), 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 Ballance (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 Ballance mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "balaunce," referring to a maker of balances or scales. 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 Ballance (0.76 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 have the surname Ballance?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.