Ballentine
A surname usually taken as a Scottish or northern-English spelling variant of Ballantyne, likely from a place-name or a nickname for a bald or shining head.
The #7,739 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,985 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ballentine is generally treated as a spelling variant of Ballantine/Ballantyne. The name is usually explained either as locational, from a place-name of uncertain origin, or as a nickname built on an old word for a bald or bare hill or head; the exact root is debated. The ending -ine/-yne reflects older regional spelling variation rather than a separate meaning.
History
The surname appears in Scottish and Irish records in several spellings, including Ballantine and Ballentine. The excerpts provided mainly show it as a recorded family name in Scotland and Ireland rather than giving a full etymology, so the broader origin is best treated as the same as Ballantine/Ballantyne. In modern use it remains relatively uncommon, especially in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same surname family can appear in several closely related spellings in older records, so one line of ancestry may show up as Ballentine in one document and Ballantine in another.
From the historical record
“Aspel. Ballentine. Adrien. Alleson.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland