Balla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Balla family. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, the nickname type of surname is also frequently found. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Balla came from a person who was nicknamed a "rascal" deriving its origin from the Italian word balosso.

Early Origins of the Balla family

The surname Balla was first found in where the Ballone branch of the family date back to the 11th century.

Early History of the Balla family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balla research. The years 1278, 1301, 1398, 1403, 1469, 1535, 1567, 1794 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Balla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balla Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Balla. These spelling variations include Balli, Ballo, Balla, Balletti, Balletto, Ballini, Ballotti, Balloni, Ballone, Ballon, Ballandi, Ballanti, Ballante, Ballantini, Balleri, Ballero, Ballerini, Ballerino, Ballarini, Ballarin, Ballaro, Ballatore, Balladore, Ballacchi, Ballada, Ballai, Ballardi, Bellarini, Ballaroto, Ballonio, Ballotta and many more.

Early Notables of the Balla family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

Guido Ballacchi, a Bishop of Rimini in 1278, and Lorenzo Ballacchi, who took the position in 1301

Migration of the Balla family

Ballas were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Alfonso Balletti, aged 32, who arrived at Ellis Island from Licata, Italy, in 1920; Angelo Balletti, aged 23, who arrived at Ellis Island from Licata, Girgentii, in 1913.