Show ContentsBalloun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Balloun family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Cornwall. The family originated from the region around the fortress of Balon near Le Mans in France, and the name was carried to England by Hamelin de Balon during the Norman Conquest of England. 1

Early Origins of the Balloun family

The surname Balloun was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat from the 11th century. The family originated from the region around the fortress of Balon near Le Mans in France and the name was carried to England by Hamelin de Balon during the conquest.

John de Baalun or Balun (d. 1235), was justice itinerant, "a Baron who possessed estates in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Wiltshire, and was descended from one Hameline de Baalun, who came over with the Conqueror, built the castle of Abergavenny, and died in 1089. His father was Reginald de Balun, and in 1207 John de Balun paid a fine for the lands of Hameline, on behalf of his father, to Geoffrey Fitz-Ace and Agnes, his wife. In 12 John (1210-1211) Balun accompanied the king to Ireland, but at the end of John's reign lost his lands for taking part in the barons' attack upon the king. " 2

Early History of the Balloun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balloun research. Another 287 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1224, 1273, 1275, 1297, 1327 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Balloun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balloun Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Balleine, Ballin, Ballon, Balon, Balun, Baalun, Ballom, Balin, Ballen and many more.

Early Notables of the Balloun family

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

Migration of the Balloun family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Balloun or a variant listed above were: Susan Ballin who arrived in Barbados in 1654.


Contemporary Notables of the name Balloun (post 1700) +

  • Charles F. Balloun, American Republican politician, Member of Iowa State Senate 21st District; Elected 1970 3


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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