Ballou
A surname of uncertain origin, found chiefly in English-speaking countries and sometimes linked to older French or English forms.
The #5,936 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,232 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources provided do not give a secure derivation for Ballou; they only list it among other surnames without explanation. The name may be related to older French or Anglo-Norman forms, but that is not certain from the evidence here. Because the early scholarship is silent on the exact root, the safest conclusion is that the surname has an uncertain origin.
History
Ballou appears in historical surname lists by the 19th century and is now best known in the United States. The name is relatively uncommon, suggesting a single or limited set of family lines rather than a widespread occupational or place-name surname. Later bearers may reflect spelling stabilization from an earlier variant form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon enough that modern bearers are often connected in family research, especially in New England and other early U.S. settlement areas.
From the historical record
“DiCK (" bald Richard " 1), Balfe, Balfour, Balge, Ballantine and Ballantyne (sometimes spelt Ballen- tine), Ballard, Ballem, Ballister, Ballou, Balyer, Bambauer, Banchor, Bannon, Bargalee, Barlow, Barker, Barrus, Barsenter, Barstow and Brastow, Barta, Barteaux, Barth, Barthune, Bartley, Bartol, Basley, Basore…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)