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Balsam Family History

Balsam Surname Meaning

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Balsam or Yiddish balzam ‘balm balsam’. German: occupational name for a seller of spices and perfumes from Latin balsamum ‘balsam aromatic resin’.

German: variant of Balsel (see Baltzell). English: habitational name from Balsham in Cambridgeshire named with an Old English personal name Bæll(i) + hām ‘homestead village’ or Balstone in Devon.

English: variant of Balson.

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


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Where is the Balsam family from?

You can see how Balsam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balsam family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Balsam families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 12 Balsam families living in London. This was about 13% of all the recorded Balsam's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Balsam families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balsam 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 Balsam ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Balsam. 50% of Balsam men worked as a Farm Labourer and 87% of Balsam women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Balsam were Cellarman and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Balsam | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    50%
  • Cellarman
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    87%
  • Domestic Servant
    14%

What Balsam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Balsam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balsam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Balsam

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Balsam. 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 Balsam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 720 military records available for the last name Balsam. For the veterans among your Balsam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balsam military records

You've only scratched the surface of Balsam family history

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What is the average Balsam lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Balsam life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1993, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Balsam in 1962 was 78, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balsam

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Balsam 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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