Explore the Family Name Ball
The meaning of Ball
1. English: from Middle English bal, ball(e) ‘ball, sphere, globe, round body’ (Old French balle or Old English beall(a)), a nickname for a short, obese person. 2. English: topographic name for someone who lived on or by a knoll or rounded hill, from the same Middle English word, bal(le) as in 1 above, but applied topographically. 3. English: from a Middle English adjective ball (weak form balle) in the sense ‘bald’, from ball ‘white streak, bald place’. 4. English: from Balle, an Old Norse personal name found in placenames in England. The Scandinavian name may be for ballr ‘dangerous’ in an older sense of ‘brave’, or bǫllr ‘ball’. 5. South German: from Middle High German bal ‘ball’, possibly applied as a metonymic occupational name for a juggler, or a habitational name from a place so named in the Rhine area. 6. German: from a short form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names formed with the element bald (see Bald). 7. Americanized form of Dutch Bal. History: William Ball (1616–80) emigrated from Suffolk, England, to VA c.1650 and was one of the founders of Millenbeck on the Rappahannock.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ball in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Ball' has seen a decline over the decade between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Ball' ranked as the 366th most popular surname, but by 2010, its rank had slipped to 508th, marking a shift of -38.8 in ranking. The total count of people with the 'Ball' surname also fell by almost 15% during this period, from 77,561 in 2000 to 66,059 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of individuals bearing the 'Ball' surname per 100,000 people dropped by 22.12, from 28.75 in 2000 to 22.39 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #366 | #508 | -38.8% |
| Count | 77,561 | 66,059 | -14.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 28.75 | 22.39 | -22.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ball
The ethnic identity associated with the Ball surname also underwent some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Balls identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 0.43 in 2000 to 0.96 in 2010. Additionally, the portion who identified as having two or more races grew by 52.14%, while the percentage of Hispanic Balls increased by 41.57%. However, those identifying as White saw a marginal decrease of 2.61%, slipping from 84.53 in 2000 to 82.32 in 2010. Similarly, the proportion of Balls identifying as Black saw a modest increase of 2.56%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased by 16%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.53% | 82.32% | -2.61% |
| Black | 11.7% | 12% | 2.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.35% | 41.57% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.78% | 52.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.96% | 123.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.58% | 16% |
Ball ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ball is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.7%) and Eastern European (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 23.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.1% |
| Other | 17.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Ball
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ball have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
What Ball haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ball is R-Z159, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z159 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z278, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Henderson, Ware, Taylor, Miles, Parks, Long, Barr, Stephens, Woods, Stevens.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ball surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ball have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ball" Surname 43.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ball" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ball" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ball" Surname 21.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ball?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ball are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition