NameCensus.

UK surname

Balmain

A French surname derived from a place name referring to a region in southern France.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Balmain surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 146, ranked #24,173, down from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dunning, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Bournemouth and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Balmain is 186 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.2%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

146

2016, ranked #24,173

Peak year

2000

186 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Balmain had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016, ranked #24,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 183 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Balmain surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Balmain surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Balmain 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 154 #12,668
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 168 #16,937
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 177 #19,523
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 169 #20,307
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 163 #20,627
2006 modern 159 #21,148
2007 modern 159 #21,387
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 150 #23,718
2016 modern 146 #24,173

Geography

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Where Balmains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dunning, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Aberdeen and Old Machar and Brechin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Bournemouth, Northumberland, Thornton and Kinglassie and Hart. 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 Dunning Perth
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
5 Brechin Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
2 Bournemouth 024 Bournemouth
3 Northumberland 031 Northumberland
4 Thornton and Kinglassie Fife
5 Hart 011 Hart

Forenames

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First names often paired with Balmain

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Balmain

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Balmain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Balmain household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Balmain is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Balmain 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

Balmain falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Balmain 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 Balmain, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Balmain

The surname Balmain originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "baile" meaning village or town, and "mòine" meaning peat or moss, suggesting a connection to a settlement or locality with peaty soil.

Balmain was initially a territorial name associated with lands in the parish of Holywood, near Dumfries, Scotland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appeared as "Bauemun" and "Bawemun."

In the 14th century, the name Balmain was prominently mentioned in the historical records of the Clan Douglas, one of the most powerful families in Scotland at the time. Sir John Balmain was a distinguished knight who served under Sir James Douglas, also known as the "Black Douglas," during the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not mention the name Balmain, as it was primarily a Scottish surname. However, there are records of the Balmain family holding lands and possessions in various parts of Scotland throughout the centuries.

One notable figure bearing the Balmain surname was Sir John Balmain (1562-1633), a Scottish politician and diplomat who served as Lord Clerk Register of Scotland and was involved in negotiations with England during the reign of King James VI and I.

Another prominent individual was Sir Michael Balmain (1750-1828), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.

In the literary realm, Bessie Balmain (1888-1975) was a Scottish novelist and short story writer known for her works depicting rural life in the Scottish Borders. Her novel "Nights in a Moorish Harem" gained widespread popularity in the early 20th century.

The Balmain surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, named after William Balmain, a Scottish-born explorer and naval surgeon who lived in the late 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the Balmain surname include Pierre Balmain (1914-1982), a renowned French fashion designer, and Stuart Balmain (1875-1939), a Scottish artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Balmain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Balmain 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. Midlothian leads with 35 Balmains recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.72x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 35 14.72x
Lanarkshire 20 3.48x
Fife 19 18.08x
Northumberland 19 7.19x
Perthshire 19 23.85x
Angus 15 9.12x
Aberdeenshire 13 7.91x
Middlesex 9 0.51x
Lancashire 6 0.28x
Kinross-shire 5 111.36x
Somerset 4 1.40x
Dumfriesshire 3 7.65x
Hampshire 3 0.82x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.86x
Flintshire 2 4.19x
Gloucestershire 2 0.57x
Renfrewshire 2 1.45x
Staffordshire 2 0.33x
Argyllshire 1 2.02x
Cheshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunfermline in Fife leads with 16 Balmains recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.01x.

Place Total Index
Dunfermline 16 99.01x
Aberdeen Old Machar 13 37.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 13.59x
Brechin 10 154.80x
Glasgow 9 8.83x
Duddingston 7 146.75x
Lasswade 7 128.68x
Westgate 7 42.79x
Govan 6 4.23x
Dunning 5 500.00x
Kinnoull 5 239.23x
Kinross 5 324.68x
Maryhill 5 44.48x
Toxteth Park 5 7.01x
Dundee 4 6.51x
Hammersmith London 4 9.15x
West Coker 4 689.66x
Annan 3 89.02x
Auchterarder 3 135.14x
Elswick 3 14.23x
Hampstead London 3 10.85x
Inveresk 3 46.58x
Milburn 3 7500.00x
North Stoneham 3 361.45x
Auchterderran 2 75.76x
Chirton 2 33.44x
Iver 2 144.93x
Kensington London 2 2.03x
Lichfield St Michael 2 106.38x
Mold Argoed 2 294.12x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 14.61x
Old Moor 2 5000.00x
Perth Middle Church 2 66.67x
Perth West Church 2 52.91x
Stonehouse 2 101.01x
Abbey 1 4.76x
Corstorphine 1 76.34x
Cranston 1 163.93x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 21.37x
Forteviot 1 263.16x
Jura 1 208.33x
Liverpool 1 0.78x
Lower Bebington 1 42.92x
Montrose 1 10.03x
North Leith 1 9.08x
Paisley High Church 1 9.13x
South Leith 1 3.74x
Strathmiglo 1 79.37x
Tibbermore 1 87.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
James 5
David 3
George 3
Colin 2
Thomas 2
Alexr. 1
Jas. 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Balmain households.

FAQ

Balmain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Balmain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Balmain surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Balmain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016. That gives Balmain a modern rank of #24,173.

What does the Balmain surname mean?

A French surname derived from a place name referring to a region in southern France.

What does the Balmain map show?

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