2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ballerstein
A surname of German origin meaning either "one from Ballerstein" or "a dancer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Ballerstein. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ballerstein 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Ballerstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballerstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ballerstein
The surname Ballerstein is believed to have originated in Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "ballen" meaning "ball" and "stein" meaning "stone," potentially referring to a person who lived near a rocky or stony area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ballerstein dates back to a 14th-century document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which references a certain Johannes Ballerstein. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.
In the 16th century, there are records of a prominent Ballerstein family living in the city of Nuremberg. They were successful merchants and traders, and their name is listed in various business transactions and municipal records from that era.
A notable individual with the surname Ballerstein was Hans Ballerstein, a German sculptor and woodcarver who lived from 1486 to 1554. He is known for his intricate woodcarvings and religious statues that adorned churches and cathedrals throughout southern Germany.
Another individual of note was Katharina Ballerstein, a 17th-century herbalist and midwife from the town of Bamberg. She is mentioned in local records for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her assistance in childbirth.
In the 18th century, a Johann Ballerstein gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the town of Augsburg. His clocks and timepieces were highly sought after and can still be found in museums and private collections today.
During the 19th century, the Ballerstein name appears in several historical accounts related to the German revolutions of 1848-1849. There are mentions of a Friedrich Ballerstein, a student activist and revolutionary who participated in the uprisings in Frankfurt.
Finally, in the early 20th century, a Hans Ballerstein was a renowned architect and urban planner in Berlin. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and contributed to the city's modernist architectural style.
While the surname Ballerstein may not be among the most common in Germany today, its history spans centuries and includes individuals from various walks of life, from artists and craftsmen to revolutionaries and professionals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ballerstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballerstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ballerstein 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 Ballerstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ballerstein
Ballerstein 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,579 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,579 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Ballerstein 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ballerstein bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Ballerstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ballerstein?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Ballerstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Ballerstein?
Ballerstein ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Ballerstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ballerstein.
Has Ballerstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ballerstein went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Ballerstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballerstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Ballerstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ballerstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Ballerstein (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 Ballerstein mean?
A surname of German origin meaning either "one from Ballerstein" or "a 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 Ballerstein (0.04 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 last name Ballerstein?
See how many people are called Ballerstein on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.