Explore the Family Name Balsam
The meaning of Balsam
1. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Balsam or Yiddish balzam ‘balm, balsam’. 2. German: occupational name for a seller of spices and perfumes, from Latin balsamum ‘balsam, aromatic resin’. 3. German: variant of Balsel (see Baltzell). 4. English: habitational name from Balsham in Cambridgeshire, named with an Old English personal name, Bæll(i), + hām ‘homestead, village’, or Balstone in Devon. 5. English: variant of Balson.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Balsam in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Balsam has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 35,797th most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to be the 34,707th most common, representing a change of 3.04 percent. The count of individuals with the Balsam surname also increased, from 593 in 2000 to 651 in 2010, an increase of 9.78 percent. However, the proportion per 100,000 people remained consistent at 0.22.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,797 | #34,707 | 3.04% |
| Count | 593 | 651 | 9.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balsam
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Balsam surname. In 2000 and 2010, no Asian/Pacific Islander, those identifying as two or more races, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native were recorded with this surname. Over these years, the majority of individuals with the Balsam surname identified as White, although the percentage saw a slight decrease from 98.31 percent in 2000 to 97.70 percent in 2010. There was a small emergence of individuals identifying as Hispanic with the Balsam surname, accounting for 1.54 percent in 2010, up from zero in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.31% | 97.7% | -0.62% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.54% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |