Balmes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Balmes

What does the name Balmes mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Balmes comes from when the family resided in the township of Balne, in the parish of Snaith, Lower division of the wapentake of Osgoldcross in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 Interestingly, Balne dates back to the 12th century when is was first listed with the same spelling used today, Balne - very few villages have held that same spelling over the centuries. It is thought that the place name meant "a bathing place," from the Latin word "balneum." 2

Early Origins of the Balmes family

The surname Balmes was first found in Yorkshire, where Robert de Balne was registered in Yorkshire in 1175. Early in the family's history they branched to Cornwall, where Alice de Balne was recorded in 1297. 3

By the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, a stronghold of the family was found in the parish of Wadworth, again in the West Riding of Yorkshire. For it is here that Johannes Balm; Willelmus de Balne; Emma de Balne; and Thomas de Balme all held lands at that time. 4

Also of note was Henry de Balnea (fl. 1400?), an English monk of the Carthusian order, "author of a work entitled 'Speculum Spiritualium,' which was preserved at Norwich in Tanner's days. " 5

Early History of the Balmes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balmes research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1500 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Balmes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Balmes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Balmes has been recorded under many different variations, including Balm, Balme, Baln, Balne, Ballm, Ballme, Ballne and others.

Early Notables of the Balmes family

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

Migration of the Balmes family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Balmes or a variant listed above: Sophie Balm, who arrived in Texas in 1845. William Balm sailed to Delaware in 1855.

Contemporary Notables of the name Balmes (post 1700) +

José Balmes Parramón (1927-2016), Spanish-born painter based in Chile, awarded Chile's National Prize for Plastic Arts in 1999

Sources +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print