Find out how popular the last name Ballast is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ballast.
A surname derived from the Old French word meaning heavy materials used to stabilize ships.
Ballast, 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 Ballast surname is from the 2010 census data.
Ballast is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Ballast surname appeared 164 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 Ballast.
We can also compare 2010 data for Ballast 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 108199 | 109915 | -1.57% |
| Count | 164 | 149 | 9.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.00% |
The surname Ballast is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "balast," which referred to a heavy material used to provide stability and balance to ships. This word was likely adopted from the Dutch term "ballast," which has the same meaning.
The earliest known record of the Ballast surname dates back to the 13th century. One notable individual bearing this name was John Ballast, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the city's tax records in 1271. Another early reference can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1307, where a Robert Ballast is listed as a landowner.
During the 14th century, the Ballast surname began to appear in various parts of England, particularly in coastal regions and areas with strong maritime connections. In 1379, a William Ballast was recorded as a ship's captain in the port of Bristol. Around the same time, the name was also documented in the Huntingdonshire Feet of Fines, which were legal records related to land transactions.
One of the most prominent individuals with the Ballast surname was Sir John Ballast, a wealthy merchant and ship owner from London who lived in the late 15th century. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers and served as an alderman for the city. Another notable figure was Thomas Ballast (1515-1585), a renowned navigator and explorer from Devon who accompanied Sir Francis Drake on his voyages to the West Indies.
In the 17th century, the Ballast surname was associated with several prominent figures in the English navy. Captain William Ballast (1621-1688) was a distinguished naval officer who participated in various battles during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. His son, John Ballast (1660-1719), also had a successful career in the navy and served as a rear admiral.
Another individual of note was Richard Ballast (1741-1810), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and donated a significant portion of his wealth to support local schools and hospitals in his community.
Over the centuries, the Ballast surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Balast, Balleste, and Balaste. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions of England.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ballast.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ballast was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 84.76% | 139 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 13.41% | 22 |
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 Ballast has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.76% | 85.23% | -0.55% |
| Black | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 13.41% | 13.42% | -0.07% |
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 Ballast was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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