NameCensus.

UK surname

Ballantyne

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Selkirk, likely meaning "settlement by the balloch (pass)."

In the 1881 census there were 2,347 people recorded with the Ballantyne surname, ranking it #1,892 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,008, ranked #1,693, up from #1,892 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hamilton, Melrose and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Strutherhill, Hareleeshill and Sutherland East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ballantyne is 4,010 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.8%.

1881 census count

2,347

Ranked #1,892

Modern count

4,008

2016, ranked #1,693

Peak year

2010

4,010 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ballantyne had 2,347 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,892 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,008 in 2016, ranked #1,693.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,223 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Ballantyne surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ballantyne surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ballantyne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ballantyne over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,102 #2,552
1861 historical 1,272 #2,245
1881 historical 2,347 #1,892
1891 historical 2,570 #1,852
1901 historical 3,223 #1,739
1911 historical 691 #6,145
1997 modern 3,659 #1,772
1998 modern 3,823 #1,767
1999 modern 3,925 #1,736
2000 modern 3,907 #1,733
2001 modern 3,813 #1,737
2002 modern 3,929 #1,724
2003 modern 3,864 #1,715
2004 modern 3,818 #1,740
2005 modern 3,782 #1,734
2006 modern 3,841 #1,705
2007 modern 3,896 #1,691
2008 modern 3,886 #1,709
2009 modern 3,972 #1,710
2010 modern 4,010 #1,731
2011 modern 3,974 #1,720
2012 modern 3,913 #1,719
2013 modern 3,966 #1,725
2014 modern 4,008 #1,724
2015 modern 4,002 #1,706
2016 modern 4,008 #1,693

Geography

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Where Ballantynes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hamilton, Melrose, Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Strutherhill, Hareleeshill, Sutherland East, Hawick North and Glassford, Quarter and Allanton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hamilton Lanark
2 Melrose Roxburgh
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Strutherhill South Lanarkshire
2 Hareleeshill South Lanarkshire
3 Sutherland East Highland
4 Hawick North Scottish Borders
5 Glassford, Quarter and Allanton South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ballantyne

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ballantyne surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ballantyne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ballantyne, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Ballantyne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Ballantyne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ballantyne is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ballantyne is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ballantyne falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ballantyne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ballantyne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ballantyne

The surname Ballantyne is of Scottish origin, derived from the lands of Ballantyne in the parish of Livingstone, West Lothian. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "baile" meaning "town" and "tan" meaning "territory" or "land". The earliest recorded spelling of the name was in the mid-12th century as "de Ballendan".

The Ballantyne name is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, and it is believed that the family held lands there as early as the 13th century. In 1296, a Robert de Ballendyn is recorded as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

One of the earliest known references to the Ballantyne name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Ballendyn" and "Ballandyn" in these rolls.

In the 16th century, the Ballantynes were prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders, particularly in the areas around Peebles and Traquair. John Ballantyne, born around 1510, was a notable figure during this time, serving as a Bailie of Peebles.

Another notable figure was Robert Ballantyne, born in 1825, who was a renowned Scottish writer and author of adventure stories for children. He is best known for his books "The Coral Island" and "The Gorilla Hunters".

James Ballantyne, born in 1772 and died in 1833, was a Scottish printer and publisher who worked closely with the famous writer Sir Walter Scott. He was a co-founder of the publishing house Ballantyne & Company, which printed many of Scott's works.

Serena Ballantyne, born in 1953, is a contemporary Canadian artist known for her large-scale outdoor sculptures and installations. She has been recognized with numerous awards and commissions throughout her career.

John Ballantyne, born in 1778 and died in 1830, was a Scottish lawyer and writer who served as the Principal Clerk of the Court of Teinds in Scotland. He was also a close friend and confidant of Sir Walter Scott.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ballantyne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ballantyne surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 664 Ballantynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.27x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 664 9.27x
Midlothian 224 7.55x
Roxburghshire 219 54.58x
Selkirkshire 158 78.83x
Renfrewshire 141 8.21x
Peeblesshire 75 71.98x
Perthshire 72 7.24x
Dumfriesshire 69 14.10x
Middlesex 69 0.31x
Northumberland 58 1.76x
Ayrshire 57 3.44x
Durham 40 0.61x
Dunbartonshire 39 6.55x
Kirkcudbrightshire 32 9.98x
Stirlingshire 31 3.79x
Berwickshire 29 10.81x
Fife 28 2.14x
Yorkshire 26 0.12x
Angus 24 1.17x
Lancashire 22 0.08x
Wigtownshire 19 6.46x
Argyllshire 15 2.43x
Surrey 14 0.13x
West Lothian 14 4.20x
Orkney 13 5.33x
Sussex 11 0.29x
Cumberland 10 0.52x
Leicestershire 10 0.41x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.67x
Monmouthshire 9 0.56x
Glamorgan 8 0.21x
Hampshire 7 0.15x
Clackmannanshire 6 3.28x
Royal Navy 6 2.27x
Essex 5 0.11x
Westmorland 5 1.03x
East Lothian 3 1.02x
Gloucestershire 3 0.07x
Inverness-shire 3 0.45x
Kent 3 0.04x
Ross-shire 3 0.49x
Warwickshire 3 0.05x
Dorset 2 0.14x
Cheshire 1 0.02x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Kinross-shire 1 1.79x
Somerset 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 126 Ballantynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.90x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 126 9.90x
Barony 114 6.29x
Govan 104 5.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 91 7.62x
Galashiels 79 106.61x
Hamilton 71 35.53x
Hawick 71 79.06x
Selkirk 43 76.16x
Innerleithen 36 130.15x
Melrose 34 67.41x
Lesmahagow 31 40.91x
Troqueer 30 71.31x
Carnwath 29 65.46x
Castleton 29 168.21x
Cathcart 27 29.07x
Wilton 26 59.05x
Langholm 25 71.08x
South Leith 25 7.49x
Bothwell 21 10.81x
Peebles 21 68.18x
Kelso 20 50.01x
Edinburgh St Stephens 19 32.52x
East Greenock 18 11.10x
Paisley High Church 18 13.17x
Lanark 16 27.75x
Jedburgh 15 38.14x
Eastwood 14 13.24x
Avondale 13 31.03x
North Leith 13 9.47x
Old Monkland 13 4.57x
Cambuslang 12 16.61x
Currie 12 66.04x
Dalkeith 12 20.50x
Kilwinning 12 22.41x
Acomb 11 137.33x
Auchtergaven 11 65.99x
Cardross 11 15.39x
Carluke 11 16.91x
Dalrymple 11 105.87x
Kinnoull 11 42.08x
New Kilpatrick 11 19.42x
Penicuik 11 27.28x
Shotts 11 12.83x
Caputh 10 63.94x
Douglas 10 48.40x
Dumbarton 10 12.07x
Dundee 10 1.31x
Edmonton 10 5.60x
Horsforth 10 20.78x
Kirkmaiden 10 53.71x
Mearns 10 33.26x
Moffat 10 44.78x
Perth East Church 10 10.67x
Pettinain 10 366.30x
Whickham 10 16.49x
Buckingham 9 33.04x
Christchurch 9 18.17x
Eckford 9 129.50x
Edinburgh St Georges 9 14.61x
Kensington London 9 0.73x
Leicester St Margaret 9 1.50x
Stobo 9 248.62x
Stranraer 9 33.44x
Battersea 8 0.98x
Bishop Auckland 8 9.05x
Cardiff St Mary 8 3.77x
Earlston 8 59.57x
Elswick 8 3.04x
Kirkcaldy 8 12.30x
Otley 8 15.01x
Perth West Church 8 16.96x
Rattray 8 34.57x
Salford 8 1.03x
Southdean 8 144.93x
St Boswells 8 109.89x
Wemyss 8 14.42x
Harrow 7 20.67x
Kilbarchan 7 13.42x
Oxnam 7 135.14x
West Greenock 7 2.27x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ballantyne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 15
Jane 13
Margaret 12
Ellen 8
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Christina 4
Emma 4
Lucy 4
Alice 3
Catherine 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Frances 2
Jannet 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Clara 1
E. 1
E.E. 1
Elinor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh. 1
Elz'th. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Euphemia 1
Florence 1
Gwendoline 1
Henrietta 1
Hetty 1
Isbella 1
J.A. 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1
Leah 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
M. 1
Maggie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ballantyne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 20
Robert 19
James 17
William 17
Walter 9
Thomas 7
George 5
Andrew 4
David 4
Alexander 3
Hugh 3
Joseph 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Allan 2
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
A.J. 1
Adam 1
Alex 1
Alexdr.T. 1
Allen 1
Archibald 1
Donald 1
Eddy 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Gideon 1
Hayes 1
Herbert 1
Ismael 1
J.L. 1
Jno.W. 1
Michael 1
Ninian 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Richd. 1
Rob't. 1
Ronald 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thorne 1

FAQ

Ballantyne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ballantyne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,347 people were recorded with the Ballantyne surname. That placed it at #1,892 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ballantyne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,008 in 2016. That gives Ballantyne a modern rank of #1,693.

What does the Ballantyne surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Selkirk, likely meaning "settlement by the balloch (pass)."

What does the Ballantyne map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ballantyne bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.