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

Banal, 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 Banal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Banal in America

Banal is the 88685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Banal surname appeared 209 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Banal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Banal 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 Banal

The surname BANAL has its origins in France, tracing back to the early medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French word "banal," which meant "common" or "public." It is believed to have initially referred to individuals who lived or worked on communal or public lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, dated around 1150. The document mentions a certain "Radulfus Banalis," indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. For example, the Testa de Nevill, a survey of landholdings in England conducted in 1212, lists a "Robert Banal" as a tenant in the county of Lincolnshire.

The town of Banal, located in the Meuse department of northeastern France, may have contributed to the spread of the surname. Historical documents from the 14th century refer to individuals originating from this locality, such as "Jehan de Banal" and "Pierre de Banal."

One notable figure bearing the BANAL surname was Jean Banal (c. 1470-1535), a French lawyer and diplomat who served as the ambassador of King Francis I to the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Madrid in 1526, which secured the release of Francis I from Spanish captivity.

Another individual of note was Nicolas Banal (1588-1670), a French Jesuit priest and theologian. He authored several works on religious topics and served as the rector of the Jesuit college in Reims.

In the 17th century, the BANAL name appeared in the records of the French settlement of Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces of Canada). One of the earliest documented instances was Jacques Banal, who was born in Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) in 1648.

The BANAL surname was also present in the Dutch Republic during the 17th and 18th centuries. Pieter Banal (1628-1705) was a prominent Dutch merchant and shipowner based in Amsterdam, known for his extensive trade with the East Indies.

Another notable figure was François Banal (1711-1787), a French architect and urban planner who contributed to the redesign and reconstruction of several cities in the aftermath of the Seven Years' War, including the city of Strasbourg.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Banal

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!