Show ContentsBalde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Balde can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Lombardy. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt 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 were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Lombardy is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Balde came from the Germanic word baltha, which means gallant, bold.

Early Origins of the Balde family

The surname Balde was first found in the city of Cremona, which lies just south of Milan. The earliest records of the family lie here with the Baldesio family in the 8th century.

Early History of the Balde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balde research. The years 1160, 1281, 1296, 1298, 1343, 1507, 1550, 1553, 1579, 1585, 1624, 1650, 1683, 1695 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Balde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balde 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 Balde. These spelling variations include Baldo, Baldi, Baudi, Baudo, Bauda, De Baudi, Debaudi, Baldelli, Baldella, Baldetti, Balde, Baldini, Baldin, Baldinotti, Balducci, Baldocci, Baldoni, Baldizzone, Baldacchi, Baldaco, Baldacchino, Baldecchi, Baldacci, Baldassi, Baldasso, Baldas, Baldassini, Baldasseroni, Baldassarini, Baldana, BaldaChina, Baldassin, Baldazzi, Baldani, Baldan, Baldaro, Baldari, Baldesi, Baldrati, Baldironi, Baudino, Baudinelli, Bauduccio, Baudone, Baudizzone, Baudacci, Baudassi, Baudasso and many more.

Early Notables of the Balde family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was

  • in 1507 Pietro Baldesi gained noble status in Florence


United States Balde migration to the United States +

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Balde:

Balde Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Henry Balde, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 1
  • Johannes Balde, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 1
Balde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Balde, who landed in New York in 1800 1
  • Henry Balde, who arrived in New York in 1800 1


  1. 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)


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