Balan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Balan name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Balan was originally derived from a family having lived in Suffolk, where they held a family seat in the village of Baylham, from which they took their name.

Early Origins of the Balan family

The surname Balan was first found in Suffolk, in the village and civil parish of Baylham. The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Beleham and probably meant "homestead or enclosure at a river-bend" from the Old English words "begel" + "ham" or "hamm." 1

The parish, in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, East division of Suffolk, 3 miles from Needham-Market was small but contained about 275 inhabitants in the late 1890s. 2

Early History of the Balan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balan research. Another 287 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1212, 1275, 1500, 1568, 1577, 1600, 1635, 1642, 1684 and 1830 are included under the topic Early Balan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balan Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Balan include Baalham, Balan, Baylham, Balum, Balam, Ballam, Balaam and many more.

Early Notables of the Balan family

More information is included under the topic Early Balan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Balan family to Ireland

Some of the Balan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balan migration to Canada +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Balan Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Pierre Balan, son of Pierre and Périnne, who married Renée Birette, daughter of Jean and Périnne, in Quebec on 9th June 1672 3
Jean-Baptiste Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Jeanne Maillou, daughter of Michel and Jeanne, in Saint-Étienne, Beaumont, Quebec on 16th November 1699 3

Balan Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Pierre Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Élisabeth Chartier, daughter of Michel and Catherine, in Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 9th January 1708 3
Étienne Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Marie-Madeleine Brassard, daughter of Louis and Simone, in Montreal, Quebec on 7th October 1710 3
Pierre Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Élisabeth and Pepin, daughter of Ignace and Marie, in Saint-François-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 4th November 1715 3
Jean-Baptiste Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Marie Vandet, daughter of René and Marie, in Saint-Michel, Quebec on 17th February 1716 3
Michel Balan, son of Pierre and Renée, who married Marie-Charlotte Savard, daughter of Simon and Françoise, in Charlesbourg, Quebec on 30th September 1726 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Balan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Andrew Balan, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1897

Contemporary Notables of the name Balan (post 1700) +

Gandhimathi Balan (1958-2024), Indian film producer
Vidya Balan (b. 1978), Bollywood actress
Tiberiu Balan (b. 1981), Romanian football player
Pietro Balan (1840-1893), Italian Catholic historian
Petru Balan (b. 1976), Romanian rugby player
Nicolae Balan (1882-1955), Romanian metropolitan bishop
Lucian Balan (b. 1959), Romanian football player and coach
Grigore Balan (1896-1944), Romanian general
Eugen Balan (1904-1968), Romanian writer
Daniel Balan (b. 1979), Romanian footballer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.