Find out how popular the last name Balog is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Balog.

Balog, 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 Balog surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balog in America

Balog is the 11753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balog surname appeared 2,665 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Balog.

We can also compare 2010 data for Balog 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.

The history of the last name Balog

The surname BALOG is of Hungarian origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a nickname derived from the Slavic word "blag," meaning "good" or "gentle." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a kind or amiable nature.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms, such as Balogh, Balogh, and Balógh, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These alternate spellings were common in historical records, as standardization of surnames was not widespread until more recent times.

One of the earliest known mentions of the BALOG surname can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Pécsvárad, in present-day Hungary. This document records a landowner named Petrus Balogh, indicating that the name was already in use among the nobility at that time.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the BALOG name gained prominence in various parts of the Kingdom of Hungary, which encompassed territories in modern-day Slovakia, Romania, and Serbia, in addition to present-day Hungary. Notable individuals bearing this surname include János Balog (1495-1569), a renowned humanist scholar and diplomat who served as the personal secretary to King Louis II of Hungary.

In the 17th century, the BALOG surname appeared in several historical records, including the Urbarium of Zemplén County, which documented landowners and their properties. One such entry mentions a certain István Balog, who owned a significant estate in the village of Deregnyő (now part of Slovakia).

The 18th and 19th centuries saw the BALOG name spread throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with bearers of the surname emerging in various professions and fields. Notable figures from this period include Pál Balog (1771-1833), a Catholic priest and writer who authored several theological works, and József Balog (1828-1909), a celebrated painter and art teacher who played a significant role in the development of Hungarian Realist art.

Throughout its history, the BALOG surname has been associated with numerous place names, such as Baloghfalva (now Blhovce in Slovakia) and Balogvölgy (now Bloževec in Slovenia), further underscoring its deep-rooted presence in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balog

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Balog.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Balog was:

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 Balog has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Balog was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Balog, please contact us.

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