2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ballhagen
Hailing from a fenced or enclosed settlement/clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Ballhagen. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ballhagen 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Ballhagen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ballhagen
The surname BALLHAGEN is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Hamburg.
The name BALLHAGEN is thought to be derived from the German word "ball," meaning "ball" or "sphere," and "hagen," which refers to a small enclosed area or a fenced-in meadow. This combination suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a location or a settlement near a fenced-in area used for playing ball games or other recreational activities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the BALLHAGEN name can be found in the church records of St. Petri in Hamburg, dating back to the late 16th century. These records document the baptism of a child named Hans BALLHAGEN in the year 1587.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the BALLHAGEN name appeared in various historical documents and records across northern Germany. For instance, Johann BALLHAGEN, born in 1642 in the town of Lübeck, was a renowned merchant and trader who established successful trade routes along the Baltic Sea.
In the 19th century, the BALLHAGEN family spread to other parts of Germany and beyond. One notable figure was Friedrich BALLHAGEN, born in 1823 in Berlin, who was a prominent lawyer and served as a judge in the Prussian judicial system.
Another individual of note was Elise BALLHAGEN, born in 1854 in Hamburg. She was a celebrated opera singer who performed in several prestigious venues across Europe, including the Royal Opera House in Berlin.
As the BALLHAGEN family continued to grow and disperse, they left their mark in various fields. One such individual was Karl BALLHAGEN, born in 1879 in Hannover, who became a renowned architect and designed several landmark buildings in Germany.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Wilhelm BALLHAGEN, born in 1908 in Munich, who was a respected linguist and scholar. He made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages and their historical development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ballhagen
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ballhagen 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 Ballhagen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 99
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ballhagen
Ballhagen 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,357 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,357 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 3,730 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 Ballhagen 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 | #150,452 | #154,182 | -2.5% |
| Count | 109 | 103 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ballhagen bearers went from 109 to 103 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 3,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,182.
FAQ
Ballhagen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ballhagen?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Ballhagen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Ballhagen?
Ballhagen ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Ballhagen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Ballhagen.
Has Ballhagen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ballhagen went from 109 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Ballhagen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ballhagen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Ballhagen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ballhagen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Ballhagen (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 Ballhagen mean?
Hailing from a fenced or enclosed settlement/clearing. 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 Ballhagen (0.03 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 share the surname Ballhagen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.