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Origins of the Ball surname

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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

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Where do most Balls live?

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.

Interesting facts about Balls

How common is your surname?

126th most common surname in the UK

We have 270,000 records for the Ball surname. The oldest one dates back to 1532.

Who were Balls most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Joneses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Balls.

What are the most common Ball first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Ball family members

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

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 410,000 family trees with the Ball surname

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