Explore the Family Name Balla
The meaning of Balla
1. Hungarian: from a short form of Ballabás, a variant of the personal name Barnabás (see Barnaby). This surname is also common in Slovakia. 2. Italian: from balla, which in its earliest sense meant ‘dance’ but from the 14th century was used to denote goods packed for transport, i.e. ‘bale or bundle (of merchandise)’. Hence it came to be used as a metonymic occupational name for a carrier. 3. Albanian: nickname or metonymic occupational name from balla ‘half-soles’ (in shoe repair). Alternatively, a cognate of Balli. 4. Indian (Andhra Pradesh): name found in the Kamma community of cultivators, perhaps a habitational name from the Balla village in Andhra Pradesh. 5. Central African (Cameroon): unexplained. Some characteristic forenames: Hungarian Arpad, Atilla, Endre, Eszter, Gabor, Istvan, Janos, Jozsef, Laszlo, Tamas, Zsolt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Balla in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Balla" slightly decreased in the past decade. In 2000, it was ranked 17,282nd most popular, slipping to 17,551st in 2010 - a modest decrease of 1.56%. The number of people with this surname, however, saw an increase from 1,508 in 2000 to 1,603 in 2010, indicating a 6.3% rise. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 people declined by 3.57%, from 0.56 in 2000 to 0.54 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,282 | #17,551 | -1.56% |
| Count | 1,508 | 1,603 | 6.3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.56 | 0.54 | -3.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balla
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Balla" also experienced some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as evidenced by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Ballas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly, going from 4.11% in 2000 to 10.85% in 2010—an impressive 163.99% jump. Conversely, the percentage identifying as White decreased by 9.93%, from 85.81% to 77.29%. Those identifying as Two or More Races also saw a drop of 17.45%, while those identifying as Hispanic slightly increased by 9.16%, and those identifying as Black rose by 42.69%. The percentage of Ballas identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at 0.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.81% | 77.29% | -9.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.11% | 10.85% | 163.99% |
| Black | 4.24% | 6.05% | 42.69% |
| Hispanic | 3.71% | 4.05% | 9.16% |
| Two or More Races | 2.12% | 1.75% | -17.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |