Explore the Family Name Balam

The meaning of Balam

1. English: habitational name from Baylham (Suffolk), which is named from Old English bēgel ‘bend’ + hamm ‘land in a river-bend, riverside meadow’ or hām ‘large estate, farm’. 2. Amerindian (Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize): Mayan name, from b’alam ‘jaguar’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Balam in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Balam has seen an increase in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Balam was ranked 57,090 in popularity, but by 2010, it had risen to the rank of 48,800, marking a positive change of 14.52%. The number of individuals with the surname also grew from 334 in 2000 to 432 in 2010, increasing by 29.34%. Similarly, the proportion of Balam per 100,000 people improved from 0.12 to 0.15, indicating a 25% growth.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#57,090	#48,800	14.52%
Count	334	432	29.34%
Proportion per 100k	0.12	0.15	25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balam

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Balam. From 2000 to 2010, there was a noticeable increase in the Hispanic population carrying this surname, rising from 47.6% to 58.33%, showing a significant positive change of 22.54%. Conversely, the percentage of people identifying as White and Black with this surname decreased by 27.46% and 12.62%, respectively. The Asian/Pacific Islander group also saw a decline, dropping from 4.19% in 2000 to 3.47% in 2010, marking a decrease of 17.18%. There were no recorded changes for those identifying as "Two or more races" or "American Indian and Alaskan Native".

	2000	2010	Change
Hispanic	47.6%	58.33%	22.54%
Black	23.05%	20.14%	-12.62%
White	24.25%	17.59%	-27.46%
Asian/Pacific Islander	4.19%	3.47%	-17.18%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%