NameCensus.

UK surname

Ballinger

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of leather bags or pouches.

In the 1881 census there were 949 people recorded with the Ballinger surname, ranking it #4,072 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,693, ranked #3,690, up from #4,072 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tewkesbury, Herefordshire and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ballinger is 1,821 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.4%.

1881 census count

949

Ranked #4,072

Modern count

1,693

2016, ranked #3,690

Peak year

1998

1,821 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ballinger had 949 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,072 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,693 in 2016, ranked #3,690.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,517 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ballinger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ballinger surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ballinger 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 555 #4,565
1861 historical 513 #5,102
1881 historical 949 #4,072
1891 historical 1,055 #3,976
1901 historical 1,333 #3,757
1911 historical 1,517 #3,189
1997 modern 1,743 #3,422
1998 modern 1,821 #3,418
1999 modern 1,798 #3,479
2000 modern 1,771 #3,511
2001 modern 1,720 #3,539
2002 modern 1,751 #3,559
2003 modern 1,716 #3,550
2004 modern 1,699 #3,583
2005 modern 1,680 #3,578
2006 modern 1,653 #3,633
2007 modern 1,642 #3,688
2008 modern 1,637 #3,725
2009 modern 1,684 #3,715
2010 modern 1,732 #3,684
2011 modern 1,756 #3,595
2012 modern 1,750 #3,550
2013 modern 1,771 #3,578
2014 modern 1,754 #3,613
2015 modern 1,733 #3,622
2016 modern 1,693 #3,690

Geography

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Where Ballingers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Leckhampton and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tewkesbury, Herefordshire, Stratford-on-Avon and Cheltenham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Leckhampton Gloucestershire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tewkesbury 005 Tewkesbury
2 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
3 Stratford-on-Avon 006 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Cheltenham 007 Cheltenham
5 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ballinger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ballinger

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ballinger, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ballinger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ballinger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ballinger 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

Ballinger is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ballinger falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ballinger is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ballinger

The surname Ballinger is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "ball" meaning a rounded hill or a hill-spur, and "inger" an occupational suffix referring to someone who lived on or near such a landscape feature. This name first emerged in the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century, in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in the West Midlands region of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ballinger surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1221, where a person named Henry Ballinger is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list a Richard Balinger from Gloucestershire. These entries suggest the name was well-established in the region by the 13th century.

The Ballinger surname is also associated with various place names in the West Midlands, such as Ballinghall in Shropshire and Ballingdon in Sudbury, both derived from the Old English words "ball" and "inger." Additionally, the variant spelling Ballinger's Green is a locality near Kinver in Staffordshire, further indicating the name's strong regional ties.

Notable historical figures bearing the Ballinger surname include:

1. John Ballinger (c. 1516 - 1587), an English churchman who served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1559 until his death. 2. Sir Richard Ballinger (c. 1535 - 1606), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1600 to 1606. 3. John Ballinger (c. 1670 - 1728), an English writer and translator, best known for his translation of Virgil's Georgics into English. 4. William Ballinger (1718 - 1795), an English engraver and artist, known for his engravings of portraits and landscapes. 5. John Ballinger (1785 - 1846), an English architect and surveyor, notable for his work on several churches and public buildings in the West Midlands region.

While the Ballinger surname has its roots in the West Midlands of England, it has since spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, with notable bearers of the name found in various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ballinger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ballinger 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. Gloucestershire leads with 368 Ballingers recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.27x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 368 20.27x
Middlesex 116 1.25x
Worcestershire 92 7.61x
Warwickshire 48 2.06x
Wiltshire 42 5.13x
Staffordshire 40 1.28x
Herefordshire 37 9.75x
Yorkshire 36 0.39x
Glamorgan 31 1.92x
Monmouthshire 26 3.89x
Surrey 26 0.58x
Berkshire 19 2.73x
Buckinghamshire 11 1.97x
Devon 9 0.47x
Essex 8 0.44x
Shropshire 8 1.00x
Derbyshire 6 0.41x
Lancashire 5 0.05x
Somerset 5 0.34x
Hertfordshire 4 0.63x
Dorset 3 0.49x
Oxfordshire 3 0.52x
Bedfordshire 1 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.26x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Kent 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 63 Ballingers recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.98x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 63 44.98x
Leckhampton 36 321.72x
Winchcomb 28 310.77x
Thornton In Bradford 24 78.59x
Birmingham 23 2.96x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 22 66.23x
Hereford All Sts 21 120.76x
Aston 20 3.11x
Bishops Cleeve 19 413.04x
Hammersmith London 17 7.45x
Kensington London 17 3.30x
Upton St Leonards 15 325.38x
Chippenham 13 75.71x
Hardwicke 13 631.07x
Dumbleton 12 863.31x
Charlton Kings 11 87.58x
Newland 11 72.08x
Whitchurch 11 474.14x
Islington London 10 1.11x
Rodbourne Cheney 10 158.23x
South Hamlet 10 89.05x
Churchdown 9 249.31x
St Pancras London 9 1.21x
Whittington 9 140.85x
Willesden 9 10.31x
Abinghall 8 941.18x
Arlingham 8 402.01x
Dauntsey 8 522.88x
Shenstone 8 100.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.41x
Swansea Town 8 6.05x
Toddington 8 1194.03x
Walsall Foreign 8 4.96x
Abergavenny 7 27.93x
Clerkenwell London 7 3.20x
Hackney London 7 1.35x
Hampstead London 7 4.86x
Hungerford 7 74.47x
Ombersley 7 104.01x
Ripple 7 305.68x
Roath 7 9.56x
Sedgeberrow 7 736.84x
Shrivenham 7 203.49x
Wormington 7 2333.33x
Amersham 6 75.66x
Chelsea London 6 2.15x
Chepstow 6 52.63x
Drayton In Hales 6 36.39x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 6 140.85x
Lambeth 6 0.74x
Mathon 6 169.01x
Minsterworth 6 454.55x
Oldbury 6 10.09x
Prestbury 6 133.33x
Saul 6 317.46x
Shoreditch London 6 1.50x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.68x
Winshill 6 64.94x
Bengeworth 5 120.19x
Biddestone St Nicholas 5 384.62x
Corsham 5 41.84x
Great Little Hampton 5 248.76x
Lower Mitton 5 46.95x
Lydney 5 53.36x
Newent 5 54.17x
Newington 5 1.46x
Northfield 5 21.80x
Pendoylan 5 400.00x
Stony Stratford West 5 129.87x
West Ham 5 1.24x
Worsbrough 5 18.60x
Evesham All Sts 4 71.05x
Feckenham 4 28.92x
Gloucester St Nicholas 4 47.56x
Hanbury 4 122.32x
Leigh 4 373.83x
Randwick 4 111.73x
Temple Guiting 4 236.69x
Wandsworth 4 4.49x
Worcester St John 4 27.70x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 62
George 48
John 42
Charles 41
Thomas 37
James 24
Henry 21
Albert 17
Frederick 14
Alfred 12
Arthur 11
Edward 10
Frank 8
Joseph 8
Edwin 6
Ernest 5
Walter 5
David 4
Fredrick 4
Samuel 4
Richard 3
Robert 3
Sidney 3
Wm. 3
Allan 2
Edmund 2
Eli 2
Elizah 2
Enoch 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Major 2
Noah 2
Ralph 2
Thos. 2
Arthing 1
Benjamin 1
Benjmin 1
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
Edwd. 1
Ephraim 1
Horace 1
Infant 1
Issac 1

FAQ

Ballinger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ballinger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 949 people were recorded with the Ballinger surname. That placed it at #4,072 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ballinger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,693 in 2016. That gives Ballinger a modern rank of #3,690.

What does the Ballinger surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of leather bags or pouches.

What does the Ballinger map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ballinger 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.