2000
#13,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Balsamo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of balsam, an aromatic resin or ointment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,348 Americans carry the last name Balsamo. That puts it at #14,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balsamo 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
2.3K
1 in 145,977
Census rank
#14,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,048 bearers of the surname Balsamo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsamo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balsamo
The surname Balsamo is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "balsamo" which means "balsam" or "aromatic resin." This name is believed to have originated in Sicily, where it was likely used to identify individuals involved in the cultivation or trade of balsam and other aromatic resins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Balsamo can be found in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese, where a family bearing this name was mentioned in historical records dating back to the 16th century. The name's association with the balsam trade suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in the production or commerce of aromatic resins, which were highly valued commodities in the Mediterranean region during that time.
In the 17th century, the Balsamo surname appears in various documents and registers in Sicily, particularly in the regions of Palermo, Messina, and Catania. One notable figure from this period was Giuseppe Balsamo (1743-1795), also known as Count Cagliostro, a notorious Italian occultist and adventurer who gained fame and notoriety for his alleged magical powers and mystical teachings.
As the Balsamo family spread across Italy and beyond, the name underwent minor spelling variations such as Balsami and Balzamo. In the late 18th century, a branch of the Balsamo family settled in Naples, where they became prominent merchants and traders. One of the most illustrious members of this branch was Vincenzo Balsamo (1781-1849), a successful businessman and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions in the city.
Another significant figure bearing the Balsamo surname was Salvatore Balsamo (1822-1890), a Sicilian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the late 19th century. He was widely respected for his advocacy of social reforms and his efforts to improve the living conditions of the working class.
In the 20th century, the Balsamo surname continued to be represented in various fields, including art, literature, and academia. One notable example is the Italian painter and sculptor Renato Balsamo (1907-1982), whose works were exhibited in numerous galleries across Europe and the United States.
While the surname Balsamo has its roots in Sicily and the balsam trade, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various areas of society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balsamo
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsamo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Balsamo 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 Balsamo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,865
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 134
- Two or more races1.4% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balsamo
Balsamo 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
#13,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,185
+101 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 434 places
2020
#14,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
-137 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,400 | 2,084 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,834 | 2,185 | 0.74 | +101 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 434 places |
| 2020 | #14,076 | 2,048 | 0.69 | -137 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 242 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 Balsamo 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 | #13,834 | #14,076 | -1.7% |
| Count | 2,185 | 2,048 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.69 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balsamo bearers went from 2,185 to 2,048 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 242 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,834 to #14,076.
FAQ
Balsamo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balsamo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,348 living Americans carry the surname Balsamo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,977 residents.
How common is Balsamo?
Balsamo ranks #14,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,048 people with the surname Balsamo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Balsamo.
Has Balsamo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balsamo went from 2,185 recorded bearers to 2,048. That is a decrease of 137 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,834 to #14,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Balsamo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsamo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Balsamo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balsamo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Balsamo (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 Balsamo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of balsam, an aromatic resin or 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 Balsamo (0.69 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 are called Balsamo?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Balsamo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.