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Balch Family History

Balch Name Meaning

English (Somerset and Wiltshire): nickname from an unrecorded Middle English balche or belche presumably from Old English bælce ‘belch belching; stomach; pride arrogance’ probably applied in the sense ‘swelling pride arrogance’ but in some cases it may have been acquired by a man given to belching. English (Somerset and Wiltshire): possibly a nickname from Middle English balche a noun or adjective derived from Old English bælcan ‘to shout’ for a man who habitually shouted. Americanized form of German Bolch .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Bach, Beach, Belch, Bauch, Hatch, Bald, Balke, Balcom, Masch, Rauch

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Balch family from?

You can see how Balch families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balch family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Balch families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 42 Balch families living in Massachusetts. This was about 25% of all the recorded Balch's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Balch families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balch surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Balch ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Balch. 17% of Balch men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Balch women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Balch were Carpenter and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Balch | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    16%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    8%
  • Saleslady
    7%
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What Balch family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Balch. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balch census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Balch

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Balch. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balch immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Balch. For the veterans among your Balch ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balch military records

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What is the average Balch lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Balch life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Balch in 1944 was 62, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balch

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