| ![Show Contents]() Balon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
France
Etymology of BalonWhat does the name Balon mean? The name Balon was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Balon family lived in Cornwall. The family originated from the region around the fortress of Balon near Le Mans in France, and the name was carried to England by Hamelin de Balon during the Norman Conquest of England. 1 Early Origins of the Balon familyThe surname Balon was first found in Cornwall, where they held a family seat from the 11th century. The family originated from the region around the fortress of Balon near Le Mans in France and the name was carried to England by Hamelin de Balon during the Norman Conquest. John de Baalun or Balun (d. 1235), was justice itinerant, "a Baron who possessed estates in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Wiltshire, and was descended from one Hameline de Baalun (c. 1060-1105), who came over with the Conqueror, built the castle of Abergavenny and rose to become 1st Baron of Abergavenny. His brother, Wynebald de Ballon (variously spelt Baalun, Baalan, Balun, Balodun, Balon etc.),(c.1058-c.1126), was an early Norman magnate who was found in England during the reign of William Rufus. In 1207 John de Balun paid a fine for the lands of Hameline, on behalf of his father, to Geoffrey Fitz-Ace and Agnes, his wife. In the 12th year of King John's reign (1210-1211), Balun accompanied the king to Ireland, but at the end of John's reign lost his lands for taking part in the barons' attack upon the king. " 2 Early History of the Balon familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balon research. Another 287 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1224, 1273, 1275, 1297, 1327 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Balon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Balon Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Balleine, Ballin, Ballon, Balon, Balun, Baalun, Ballom, Balin, Ballen and many more. Early Notables of the Balon familyMore information is included under the topic Early Balon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Balon familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Balon or a variant listed above: Susan Ballin who arrived in Barbados in 1654.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Balon (post 1700) | + |
- Amanda Balon (b. 1997), American former child actress, vocalist and dancer, best known for playing the title role in the nationwide Broadway tour of the musical Annie
- Vladimir Balon (1937-2013), Soviet and Russian actor and fencer
- Halina Balon (b. 1948), Polish fencer at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics
- Eugene K. Balon (1930-2013), Polish Canadian and Czech zoologist and ichthyologist
- Dave Balon (1938-2007), Canadian ice hockey player and coach who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1959 and 1973
- Claude Balon (1671-1744), French dancer and choreographer
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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