Balne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Balne is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived 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 Balne family

The surname Balne 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 Balne family

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

Balne Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Balne are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Balne include: Balm, Balme, Baln, Balne, Ballm, Ballme, Ballne and others.

Early Notables of the Balne family

Distinguished members of the family include

Robert de Balne, a prominent 12th century landholder in Yorkshire

Migration of the Balne family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Balne or a variant listed above: Sophie Balm, who arrived in Texas in 1845. William Balm sailed to Delaware in 1855.

Citations +

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