2000
#503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 59,660
First available Census row
Per 100,000 22.12
Uncommon Last name
Ballard
An English surname derived from Old French, referring to a singer or dancer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 65,850 Americans carry the last name Ballard. That puts it at #574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 19.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,205 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ballard 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 Ballard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
66K
1 in 5,205
Census rank
#574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
19.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
57K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 57,424 bearers of the surname Ballard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 19.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballard, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ballard
The surname Ballard has its origins in medieval England, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Old French word "baillard," which means "a person who managed the estates of others." The name's roots can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, when many French-speaking individuals settled in various parts of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ballard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population records commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the surname Ballard, indicating that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ballard was often associated with individuals who held positions of responsibility or authority, particularly in the management of estates or manors. This connection can be seen in the place names that incorporated the surname, such as Ballard's Ash in Hampshire and Ballard's Green in Essex.
One of the most notable figures with the surname Ballard in English history was Sir William Ballard (1472-1550), a prominent landowner and courtier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as a member of the Privy Council and held various positions of importance, including Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
Another significant individual with this surname was Robert Ballard (1575-1654), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Oxford from 1638 until his death. He was known for his religious writings and his contributions to the translation of the King James Bible.
In the literary world, the name Ballard is associated with the English novelist and short story writer J.G. Ballard (1930-2009), renowned for his works of science fiction and dystopian literature, including "Empire of the Sun" and "Crash."
The Ballard surname has also had a presence in the United States, with notable individuals such as Robert Ballard (born 1942), the renowned oceanographer and explorer best known for his discovery of the wreckage of the RMS Titanic in 1985.
Additionally, the surname has been linked to various place names in the United States, such as Ballard County in Kentucky and the city of Ballard in Washington state, reflecting the migration and settlement patterns of individuals bearing this name.
Throughout its history, the surname Ballard has maintained a strong association with its English roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, ranging from noblemen and clergymen to writers and explorers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ballard
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballard, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ballard 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 Ballard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 41,512
- Black or African American18.7% · 10,710
- Two or more races4.7% · 2,692
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 1,709
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 472
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 329
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ballard
Ballard 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
#544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,625
+1,965 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 20.89
Rank movement Down 41 places
2020
#574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 57,424
-4,201 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 19.21
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #503 | 59,660 | 22.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #544 | 61,625 | 20.89 | +1,965 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 41 places |
| 2020 | #574 | 57,424 | 19.21 | -4,201 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 30 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 Ballard 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 | #544 | #574 | -5.5% |
| Count | 61,625 | 57,424 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 20.89 | 19.21 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ballard bearers went from 61,625 to 57,424 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #544 to #574.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ballard
FAQ
Ballard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ballard?
Name Census estimates that about 65,850 living Americans carry the surname Ballard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,205 residents.
How common is Ballard?
Ballard ranks #574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 19.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 19 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 57,424 people with the surname Ballard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (65,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 19.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 19.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 19 of them to have the surname Ballard.
Has Ballard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ballard went from 61,625 recorded bearers to 57,424. That is a decrease of 4,201 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #544 to #574.
What does the Census say about the background of Ballard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballard, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ballard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (41,512 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ballard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (18.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ballard (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 Ballard mean?
An English surname derived from Old French, referring to a singer or dancer. 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 Ballard (19.21 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 Ballard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.