History of your Surname
Get access to Balaban family records.Start a free trial

Balaban Family History

Balaban Name Meaning

Turkish Greek Serbian and Croatian: nickname for a big clumsy man from Turkish balaban ‘tame bear’ figuratively ‘big clumsy man’ which is also a loanword in Serbian and Croatian. In North America this surname may also be a shortened form of some other surnames derived from this word such as Greek Balabanis. Turkish Romanian Ukrainian Belorussian and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname or Turkish ornamental and Jewish artificial name from Turkish balaban ‘sparrowhawk’ (also a loanword in Ukrainian etc.) as a nickname perhaps applied to someone thought to resemble a sparrowhawk in some way. It may also be a metonymic occupational name for a falconer.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Balan, Babin, Laban, Karabin, Allman, Salzman, Barba, Alban, Alsman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Balaban family from?

You can see how Balaban families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balaban family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Balaban families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Balaban family living in Lancashire. This was 100% of all the recorded Balaban's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Balaban families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balaban surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Balaban ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Balaban. 100% of Balaban women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Balaban | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Balaban family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Balaban. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balaban census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Balaban

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Balaban. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balaban immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Balaban. For the veterans among your Balaban ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balaban military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balaban family history

Discover More

What is the average Balaban lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Balaban life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Balaban in 1947 was 47, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balaban

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Balaban family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Balaban last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial