Ball Family Crest, Coat of Arms and Name History

Ball Origin:

England, France

Origins of Name:

The surname of Ball has been noted as interesting throughout history, and has many possible derivations of the origin. The first possible derivation of the surname of Ball comes from an early Medieval English origin. This origin is a nickname for someone who is short and rounded. This derives from an Old English word from before the 7th century. This word, “bealla” and the Middle English “balle” or “bal” which can all be translated to mean “ball” and are influenced by the Old Norse word “bollr.” It is also possible that this nickname was used to describe a bald man, and used as to describe the round, hairless patch on the skull. This can come from an old Middle English word. This word “ballede” which comes from “balle” and adds the suffix “ede” meaning “having a balle” or “having a ball. The modern English word “bald” is derived from this. The second possible source for the surname of Ball is that it may be a topographical surname, meaning someone who lives by a rounded hill of knoll. The final possibility of the origins of the surname of Ball is that it derives from the Old Norse personal name of “Balle” which is believed to be derived from the word “bal”. The word “bal” can be defined to mean “torture” or “pain.” This personal surname may also have derived from the name “Balle” meaning “bald” which can be interpreted to mean “bold.”

Variations:

More common variations are: Beall, Bally, Byall, Balla, Boall, Baill, Baull, Baell, Balli, Ballo

History:

England:

The first recorded spelling of the surname of Ball was found in the country of England in the year 1137. This person, who was named as Godwin Balle was mentioned and recorded in the manuscript called the Early London Personal Names, written by E. Ekwall. This document was ordered, decreed, and written during the reign of King Stephen, who was known as and commonly referred to throughout history as the “Count of Blois” and who ruled from the year 1135 to the year 1154. Other mentions of the surname of Ball include one Robert le Bal in the year 1296 in Sussex, Henry ate Balle in 1327 in Somerset, and Norman Balle who was recorded in Northamptonshire in the year 1183. Those who bear the surname of Ball in England originate din the region of County Cheshire. Today, those who bear the surname of Ball can be found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and the southern county of Devon.

Scotland:

Those who bear the surname of Ball in the country of Scotland can be found in most parts of this country. The highest concentration of the Ball surname in the country of Scotland can be found in the area of Lanarkshire county.

United States of America:

During the 17th Century, European citizens began to migrate to the United States of America in search of a better life. This was called the European Migration. The first recorded person to carry the surname of Ball to the United States was one Jas Ball, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in the year of 1 622. Those who have the surname of Ball in the United States can be found in high concentrations in the states of California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio and New York.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Ball:

United States 89,330, England 31,991, Australia 10,066, Canada 9,580, South Africa 5,077, Germany 3,900, Senegal 2,684, Bangladesh 2,063, Wales 1,987, Mauritania 1,957

Notable People:

William Sherman Ball (1871-1935) who was a Delegate to the Republic National Convention from Kentucky in 1920, also served in Kentucky in the Western District as a U.S. Attorney. He served from the year 1922 to the year 1927 and died 8 years later.

William Hazen Ball (1858-1922) who was the Member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from Berrien County in the 2nd District from 1901 to the year 1912, who was a Republican politician from America

William Lee Ball (1781-1824) who was a Member of the Virginia State Legislature for the U.S. Representative of Virginia from 1817 to 1824 and who was a Democrat politician from America

William Floyd Ball, who was a Member of the Kentucky State House of Representatives from the 84th District 1942 to 1943, and was an Alternate Delegate to the Republican National Convention from Kentucky in the year 1944, and was a politician from America

William Ball, who was the Mayor of Fremont, California from the year 1989 to 1994, and was defeated in the year 1994, and was a politician from America.

Blazons & Genealogy Notes

1) (Bickerton, co. Chester). Ar. a lion ramp.sa. armed and langued gu.
2) (Blofield, co. Norfolk, hart., extinct, 1874). Erm. a lion ramp. sa. armed and langued gu. betw. two torteaux in chief and in base a hand-grenade exploding ppr. Crest—Out of a naval crown a cubit arm erect in naval uniform grasping a hand grenade fired in cross all ppr.
3) (Cheshire). Ar. a lion ramp. sa. holding in the dexter paw a fireball ppr. Crest—Out of a ducal coronet a hand and arm embowed, in mail grasping a fireball all ppr.
4) (Devonshire). Gu. a chev. ar. betw. three fireballs, ppr.
5) (Bickerton and Chester, litaffordshire and Derbyshire). Gu. a man’s leg erased at the thigh and erected paleways transfixed with a coulter ppr.
6) (impaled by Humphry Vincent, Esq., of Kinfare, co. Staf­ford in 1612 in right of his wife Isabell Ball). Sa. a fess engr. three dexter hands couped ar.
7) (Chester). Ar. a lion ramp. sa. holding in the dexter paw a ball inflamed ppr.
8) (Boughton, Greenhall, and Irby, co. Chester; an ancient family originally seated at Tussingham, in the same county, at which place they held lands before the time of Edward I.). Gu. a leg in pale, couped at the middle of the thigh in chief, the foot erased at the ancle ar. pierced through the calf with the coulter of a plough of the last, the leg embowed of the first. Crest—A cubit arm vested gu. cuff ar. grasping in the hand a fireball ppr.
9) (Lincoln’s Inn. London). Az. on a cross or, pierced of the field four galtraps of the first. Crest—A galtrap az. the upward point bloody.
10) (Scotto, co. Norfolk). Ar. a lion pass. sa. Crest—A demi lion ramp. guard. sa.
11) (Northamptonshire, granted 1613). Ar. a lion pass. sa. on a chief of the second three mullets of the first. Crest—Out of clouds ppr. a demi lion ramp. sa. powdered with estoiles ar. holding a globe or.
12) (Lancashire). Gu. a leg in pale, couped at the thigh in chief, and erased at the ancle ar. pierced through the calf with the coulter of a plough crooked at the point ar. Crest—A turtle dove ppr.
13) (Ballsgrove, near Drogheda). Motto—Fulcrum dignitatis virtus. Sa. on a chev. or, betw. three griffins’ heads erased ar. langued gu. beaked of the second three martlets of the field all within a bordure gobony of the first and third. Crest—A griffin’s head erased as in the Arms.
14) Ar. a chev. betw. three fireballs sa. fired ppr. Crest: An arm erect or, in the hand a fireball, all ppr.
15) Or, a fesse wavy az. betw. two lions pass. guard. sa.
16) (Devonshire). Ar. on a chev. sa. betw. three pellets an eagle displ. ar.
17) (Ireland). Az. a lion ramp. ar.
18) Ar. a lion pass. sa.
19) (Mamhead, co. Devon, originally of Balle-Hayes in Axminster). Ar. a chev. betw. three fireballs gu. Crest—An arm holding a fireball ppr.
20) Or, a fesse wavy az. betw. two lions pass. guard. sa.