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Balham Family History

Balham Surname Meaning

Perhaps from Balham in Streatham (Surrey). This suits the location of the following early bearers. However, Balham appears in the 13th and 14th centuries spelled Belg-, Balg-, and Ballweham (apparently from Old English *bealg ‘rounded’ + hamm ‘riverside meadow enclosed place’) but not Balaam or Balham.

These latter spellings suggest that the bearers may have been descendants of the Norman family of de Ba(a)lon who were benefactors of Bermondsey Priory (Surrey); see Balaam (2).

See Balaam (1).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Balham family from?

You can see how Balham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balham family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Balham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 8 Balham families living in Yorkshire. This was about 62% of all the recorded Balham's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Balham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balham 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 Balham ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Balham. 89% of Balham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Balham | 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
    89%
  • Domestic Servant
    12%

What Balham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Balham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Balham

Passenger Lists

There are 56 immigration records available for the last name Balham. 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 Balham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 61 military records available for the last name Balham. For the veterans among your Balham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balham military records

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What is the average Balham lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Balham 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balham

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