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Balcom History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Balcom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Balcom family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found the place name Balcombe in Sussex. The name was most likely assumed by a family who held land in the area.

Early Origins of the Balcom family

The surname Balcom was first found in West Sussex, at Balcombe a village and civil parish which dates back to about the 11th century when it was listed as Balecumba. Together the name possibly meant "valley of a man called Bealda" from the Old English personal name + cumb 1 which meant "valley" or "hollow". The village was not listed in the Domesday Book.

Early History of the Balcom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balcom research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1615, 1616 and 1619 are included under the topic Early Balcom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balcom Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Balcom include Balcom, Balcome, Balcomb, Balcomm, Balcombe and others.

Early Notables of the Balcom family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard Balcombe of Sussex, who held the family estate in 1615

Balcom Ranking

In the United States, the name Balcom is the 8,972^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Balcom migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Balcom or a variant listed above:

Balcom Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Balcom, who settled in Rhode Island in 1664
Henry Balcom, who is on record in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1664

Balcom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S. Balcom who arrived in San Francisco, California, in 1802
Pelimon A Balcom, who landed in Colorado in 1884 3

Balcom Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

A. Balcom, aged 29, who landed in America from London, in 1903
Fred Balcom, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1907
Lena Balcom, aged 27, who immigrated to America, in 1907
Carrie M. Balcom, aged 38, who settled in America, in 1908
Chester Balcom, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Balcom migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Balcom Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jonas Balcom, who arrived in Nova Scotia some time between 1735-1835

Contemporary Notables of the name Balcom (post 1700) +

Homer G. Balcom (1870-1938), American structural engineer who was responsible for designing the Empire State Building
C.M. "Sandy" Balcom, American co-founder of the Balcom and Vaughan Pipe Organ, Inc., a builder of pipe organs based in Seattle until the early 1980s
Sam R. Balcom, American director and writer, known for The Ore (2007), Texas Fortune (2005) and The Damage Done (2010)
Linda K. "Lannie" Balcom (1941-1991), American model and actress
Ransom Balcom, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chenango County, 1847 4
Lyman Balcom, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Steuben County 2nd District, 1868 4
Henry Balcom, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chenango County, 1838 4
George Lewis Balcom (1819-1900), American Republican politician, Member of Vermont State House of Representatives, 1855-57; Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives, 1883-84 4
Carroll H. Balcom, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 3rd District, 1946, 1948 4
Benjamin H. Balcom, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1960 4
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Balcom family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Harold C. Balcom (1890-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 5

The Balcom Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tenebo
Motto Translation: I will hold.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance