Ballard Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Ballard last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Ballard last name
Meaning of the Ballard last name: bald-headed man. Ballard was a nickname for a bald man, from the medieval word ballede, "bald", with the French ending -ard, which often gave a nickname a teasing edge. The name is most common in southern England, in Kent, Sussex, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. A curious detail: the explorer Robert Ballard found the wreck of the Titanic, and J. G. Ballard wrote "Empire of the Sun".
Arms associated with the Ballard name
In English heraldry, arms belonged to one person at a time and passed down to the eldest son, so different Ballard lines used their own versions.
Get your full Ballard family history
This is only a glimpse of the Ballard story. The full Ballard history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Ballard coat of arms. Get the full Ballard report.
Ballard name FAQ
What does the Ballard name mean?
Bald-headed man. Common variants include Ballardie, Bullard, Baylard.
Where does the Ballard surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Ballard coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ballard coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.