Balke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Balke date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Balke family lived at or near a bank or ridge. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old English word Balca which means dweller by the bank or ridge. 1

Early Origins of the Balke family

The surname Balke was first found in Oxfordshire, where William Belch was first listed as a Templar in 1185. Later, William le Belch was listed as holding lands in Essex in 1295 and Robert Balch was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1328. 1

Kirby's Quest lists "Robert Balch, Somerset, 1 Edward III" (holding lands there during the first year's reign of Edward III.) 2

Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Early History of the Balke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balke research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1295, 1327, 1332, 1604, 1659, 1669, 1670, 1735 and 1744 are included under the topic Early Balke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balke Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Balke are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Balke include: Balch, Balche, Belch, Belche, Ballch, Bellch, Ballche and many more.

Early Notables of the Balke family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Balke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balke Ranking

In the United States, the name Balke is the 14,127^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Balke migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Balke or a variant listed above:

Balke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Balke, who landed in Texas in 1865 4

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)