Contents [hide]

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 first family to use the name Balcom lived among the ancient Scottish people called the Picts. The Balcom family lived in Balcomie, in the parish of Crail, in the county of Fifeshire. 1

Early Origins of the Balcom family

The surname Balcom was first found in Fife, where one of the first records of the family was "Robert de Balcomie who was constable of Crail in 1297 is probably the Robert de Balcomi who served as juror on an inquest made at Perth in 1305. John de Balcolmy was bailie of Crail in 1359, and c. 1380 mention is made of the lands of Richard de Balcolmi in the same town. Thomas de Balcolmi appears in record in 1429, James Balcolmy was married in 1492." 1

In England, the family is thought to have originated at Balcombe (Baegloc's hollow), in Sussex. 2 3 In this case, the place name dates back to the late 11th century when it was known as Balecumba and possible meant "valley of a man called Bealda." 4

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. John de Balecomb was listed in Sussex in 1327 as was Thomas Bakombe in the Subsidy Rolls for 1525. 5

Early History of the Balcom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balcom research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1297, 1359, 1380 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Balcom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balcom Spelling Variations

In the Middle ages, spelling and translation were not yet regulated by any general rules. spelling variations in names were common even among members of one family unit. Balcom has appeared Balcom, Balcome, Balcomb, Balcomm, Balcombe and others.

Early Notables of the Balcom family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Learmonth of Balcomie, 1672

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. 6

Balcom migration to the United States +

Faced by this persecution and the generally unstable political climate of those days, many Scots chose to leave their homeland for Ireland, Australia, and North America in search of greater opportunity and freedom. The colonies across the Atlantic were the most popular choice, but a passage there was neither cheap nor easily suffered. Passengers arrived sick and poor, but those who made it intact often found land and more tolerant societies in which to live. These brave settlers formed the backbone of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States. It is only this century that the ancestors of these families have begun to recover their collective identity through the patriotic highland games and Clan societies that have sprung up throughout North America. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Balcom:

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 7

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 8
Lyman Balcom, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Steuben County 2nd District, 1868 8
Henry Balcom, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chenango County, 1838 8
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 8
Carroll H. Balcom, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 3rd District, 1946, 1948 8
Benjamin H. Balcom, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1960 8
... (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 9

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: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath I hope.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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