Explore the Family Name Balsamo
The meaning of Balsamo
Italian (Naples): from the medieval personal name Balsamo, meaning ‘balsam, balm, comfort’, bestowed upon a child who is (or is expected to be) a comfort to his parents, typically one born following the death of an older child. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Gaetano, Mario, Angelo, Gaspare, Gasper, Giuseppe, Liborio, Rocco, Rolando, Saverio, Aniello, Antonietta, Antonio, Biagio. Spanish Angelina, Cristina, Gaspar, Nilda, Salvador, Serafina.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Balsamo in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Balsamo has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, the surname was ranked at 13,400 and it slipped to 13,834 by 2010, representing a decline of 3.24%. However, the number of individuals bearing this surname increased from 2,084 to 2,185 within the same period, marking a growth of 4.85%. When analyzed in terms of proportion per 100,000 people, there was a small drop of 3.9%, moving from 0.77 to 0.74.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,400 | #13,834 | -3.24% |
| Count | 2,084 | 2,185 | 4.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.77 | 0.74 | -3.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balsamo
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Balsamo, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there have been some notable shifts from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.38% to 0.78%. Meanwhile, the number of people identifying as two or more races dropped significantly from 1.30% to 0.59%. The majority of individuals with the Balsamo surname, however, continue to identify as White, although the percentage decreased slightly from 95.63% in 2000 to 93.78% in 2010. Moreover, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic nearly doubled, rising from 2.35% to 4.62%. For the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, data for 2010 were suppressed or remained unchanged from 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.63% | 93.78% | -1.93% |
| Hispanic | 2.35% | 4.62% | 96.6% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.78% | 105.26% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 0.59% | -54.62% |
| Black | 0.34% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |