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Balch Family History

Balch Surname Meaning

English (Somerset and Wiltshire): nickname from an unrecorded Middle English balche or belche presumably from Old English bælce ‘belch belching; stomach; pride arrogance’ probably applied in the sense ‘swelling pride arrogance’ but in some cases it may have been acquired by a man given to belching.

English (Somerset and Wiltshire): possibly a nickname from Middle English balche, a noun or adjective derived from Old English bælcan ‘to shout’ for a man who habitually shouted.

Americanized form of German Bolch.

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


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Where is the Balch family from?

You can see how Balch families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balch family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Balch families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 95 Balch families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Balch's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Balch families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balch surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Balch ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Balch. 24% of Balch men worked as a Dairy Farmer and 77% of Balch women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Balch were General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Balch | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • Dairy Farmer
    24%
  • Incapacitated
    16%
  • Lorry Driver
    12%
  • General Labourer
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    3%

What Balch family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Balch. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balch census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Balch

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Balch. 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 Balch immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Balch. For the veterans among your Balch ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balch military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balch family history

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What is the average Balch lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Balch life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Balch in 1944 was 62, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balch

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Balch ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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