2000
#35,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 593
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Balsam
A surname derived from a plant known for its fragrant resin or balsam.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 812 Americans carry the last name Balsam. That puts it at #34,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 422,111 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balsam 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
812
1 in 422,111
Census rank
#34,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
708
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 708 bearers of the surname Balsam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balsam
The surname Balsam is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'balsam' or 'balsame,' which referred to the aromatic resin or gum obtained from certain trees. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with the trade or production of balsam.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Balsam surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1273. In this historical record, a person named Robert Balsam is mentioned, indicating that the name was already in use during that time period in the county of Norfolk, England.
The surname Balsam may also have originated as a locational name, referring to a place where balsam trees grew in abundance or where the balsam trade was prominent. However, there is no definitive evidence of a specific place name from which the surname directly derived.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Balsham and Balsame, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that era. One notable individual from this period was John Balsham, who was born in the village of Balsham, Cambridgeshire, around 1330.
During the 16th century, the Balsam surname continued to be found in various records across England. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Balsam, a merchant from London who was born in 1534 and played a role in the expansion of trade with the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, the surname Balsam appeared in the records of the New World, as some individuals bearing this name emigrated to the American colonies. One such individual was William Balsam, who was born in England in 1620 and later settled in Virginia.
Another notable bearer of the Balsam surname was Sir Charles Balsam (1683-1756), an English landowner and member of Parliament who served as the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Balsam surname continued to be found across various regions of England, as well as in the United States and other parts of the world where English settlers had established communities.
In summary, the surname Balsam has a rich history, originating in England and potentially deriving from the Old English words related to the aromatic balsam resin or from a locational name associated with the balsam trade or the growth of balsam trees. While its origins can be traced back to the 13th century, the surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life and has spread across different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balsam
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Balsam 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 Balsam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 677
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 26
- Two or more races0.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balsam
Balsam 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
#34,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 651
+58 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 1,090 places
2020
#34,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 708
+57 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 227 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,797 | 593 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,707 | 651 | 0.22 | +58 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,090 places |
| 2020 | #34,480 | 708 | 0.24 | +57 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 227 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 Balsam 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 | #34,707 | #34,480 | 0.7% |
| Count | 651 | 708 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.24 | 7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balsam bearers went from 651 to 708 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 227 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,707 to #34,480.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Balsam
FAQ
Balsam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balsam?
Name Census estimates that about 812 living Americans carry the surname Balsam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 422,111 residents.
How common is Balsam?
Balsam ranks #34,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 708 people with the surname Balsam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Balsam.
Has Balsam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balsam went from 651 recorded bearers to 708. That is an increase of 57 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,707 to #34,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Balsam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balsam, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Balsam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (677 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balsam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Balsam (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 Balsam mean?
A surname derived from a plant known for its fragrant resin or balsam. 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 Balsam (0.24 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 have the surname Balsam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.