Origins of the Ball surname

What does the name Ball mean?

The Ball surname is thought to be English. It is believed to be a patronymic name. It would have been given to those who were the son or descendant of 'Baldwin' or 'Bald' (the diminutive form of this name), a common Anglo-Norman name. The surname was found first in the 1200s, and has spread across Britain over the centuries following.

Alternative variations of the name Ball

Ball, Balle, Bal, Bawle, Bawl

Start free trial
“
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Balls.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Ball family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 613North West 1017Isle of Man 67Yorkshire 2272East Midlands 1748West Midlands 3582East 1041London 6663South East 2244South West 1207South Wales 408Mid Wales 54West Wales 3North Wales 52Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Balls lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

36,000 Ball Travel & migration records
270,000 Balls found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Ball

How common is your surname?

126th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Ball surname. The oldest one dates back to 1532.

Who were Balls most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Balls.

What are the most common Ball first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Ball family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Balls

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Balls in 1921

Dressmaker

1,089

Laundress

784

Domestic Servant

622

General Servant Domestic

613

General Servant

466

Common male occupations for Balls in 1921

Coal Miner

1,678

Agricultural Labourer

995

General Labourer

920

Farmer

754

Farm Labourer

667

We found over 460,000 family trees with the Ball surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Balls.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Ball family members

How rare is your surname?

Have you ever wondered if your family na...

The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

Could your surname be on the brink of di...

English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

Ever wondered where our last names come...

How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

Starting your family history journey is...

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search