2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Balsama
A surname originating from the Greek word meaning balm or soothing ointment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Balsama. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balsama 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Balsama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsama, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balsama
The surname BALSAMA originates from Italy, likely arising in the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "balsamo," meaning "balsam," which refers to a fragrant resinous substance or plant. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in the production, trade, or use of balsams or other aromatic materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BALSAMA can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Florence, Italy, where a certain Guido Balsama is mentioned as a merchant dealing in spices and fragrances. This provides evidence that the name was already established in Italy during that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname BALSAMA was Giovanni Balsama (c. 1420-1492), a renowned herbalist and apothecary from Venice. He authored several treatises on the medicinal properties of various plants and is credited with introducing new balsamic preparations to the medical community.
During the Renaissance, the BALSAMA family gained prominence in the city of Siena, Tuscany. One member, Pietro Balsama (1495-1558), was a respected artist known for his frescoes adorning several churches in the region. His works showcased a mastery of color and composition, often incorporating botanical motifs that may have been inspired by the family's connection to balsams and aromatic plants.
In the 17th century, the name appears in historical records from the Papal States, where a certain Giulio Balsama (1612-1679) served as a diplomat and envoy for the Holy See. His diplomatic missions took him to various European courts, where he was known for his skill in negotiations and his refined taste, which may have been influenced by his family's heritage in the trade of fragrances and luxury goods.
Another notable figure is Antonio Balsama (1780-1845), an Italian botanist and naturalist from Naples. He made significant contributions to the study of Mediterranean flora and was instrumental in establishing botanical gardens in the region, furthering the understanding and preservation of native plant species, including those used for their aromatic properties.
Throughout history, the surname BALSAMA has been associated with individuals involved in various fields, such as merchants, artists, diplomats, and scholars, all sharing a connection to the fragrant and aromatic world of balsams and botanical materials.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balsama
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsama, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Balsama 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 Balsama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balsama
Balsama 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,785 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,785 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,042 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 Balsama 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 | #139,228 | #144,270 | -3.6% |
| Count | 120 | 117 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balsama bearers went from 120 to 117 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #144,270.
FAQ
Balsama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balsama?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Balsama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Balsama?
Balsama ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Balsama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Balsama.
Has Balsama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balsama went from 120 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Balsama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsama, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Balsama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balsama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Balsama (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 Balsama mean?
A surname originating from the Greek word meaning balm or soothing ointment. 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 Balsama (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 common is the surname Balsama?
Find out how common the surname Balsama is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.