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

Belch, 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 Belch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belch in America

Belch is the 34353rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belch surname appeared 660 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 Belch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belch 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 Belch

The surname Belch originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "belcan," which means "to belch" or "to burp." This name was likely first used as a descriptive nickname for someone who had a tendency to belch frequently or loudly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Belch can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a certain John Belch. Another early reference is from the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1330, where a William Belch is listed.

During the Middle Ages, the Belch surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire in the West Midlands region of England. This suggests that the name may have originated in this area, although it eventually spread to other parts of the country as well.

In the 16th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Belshe," appeared in some records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1548, which mentions a John Belshe. This spelling variation likely arose due to regional pronunciation differences or scribal errors.

One notable bearer of the Belch surname was Sir Robert Belch, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. He was recorded as participating in the musters (military assemblies) of 1588, during the time of the Spanish Armada.

Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Belch, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol in the early 17th century. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and is known to have made several voyages to the West Indies and Virginia Colony between 1620 and 1640.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the Belch surname was Reverend John Belch, a clergyman and author who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire from 1732 until his death in 1778. He published several religious texts and sermons during his lifetime.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Belch surname in North America can be found in the colonial records of Virginia, where a Richard Belch is listed as an indentured servant who arrived in the colony in 1635.

Throughout its history, the Belch surname has been borne by many individuals from various walks of life, including landed gentry, clergy, merchants, and colonial settlers, among others. While not a particularly common name, it has left a lasting mark on the historical records of England and its former colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belch

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

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

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

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