Balser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The roots of the distinguished surname Balser lie in Austria. The name derives itself from "Balthasar," the name of one of the three Magi who followed the star to Bethlehem, and was popular as both a first name and a family name during the 18th century.

Early Origins of the Balser family

The surname Balser was first found in Austria, where the name Baltheser was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. The Baldus, Baldes and Baldes were originally pet forms of the variant Balthasar which was the local patron saint and were often found in Rhineland. 1

Early History of the Balser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balser research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1656, 1659 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Balser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balser Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Balser include Baltzer, Balthasar, Balthezer, Balthesser, Ballthasar, Balthazar, Ballthezer, Balz (Pomerania), Baltzel and many more.

Early Notables of the Balser family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Balser were Thomas Baltzar (1630-1663), a renowned violinist, who achieved fame in London. He was born at Lubeck and settled in England in 1656. "He was the first great violinist that had been heard in England at the time. At the Restoration he...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Balser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balser Ranking

In the United States, the name Balser is the 15,594^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Balser migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Balser or a variant listed above:

Balser Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Balser, who landed in Massachusetts in 1643 3

Balser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Balser, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1851 3
Christ Balser, who landed in America in 1853 3

Balser migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Balser Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Balser, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Lancashire, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 1st January 1850, arriving in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, he died in 1909 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Balser (post 1700) +

Jeffrey R. Balser (b. 1962), American president and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC)
Ruth B. Balser, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 2004 (alternate), 2008 5
Jesse Balser, American politician, Mayor of Arcadia, California, 1961-62 5
Ewald Balser (1898-1978), German film actor
Gordon Balser (1954-2024), Canadian educator and politician in Nova Scotia who represented Digby-Annapolis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1998 to 2003
William Balser Skirvin (1860-1944), American real estate developer and oil millionaire, founder of the Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans (Edda Gentry trns.)Dictionary of German Names Madison, Wisconsin: Max Kade Institute, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/australasia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html