Ballard is a surname of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

origin. It likely derives from

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...

"ball," meaning "white spot," plus the suffix "-ard," and would therefore mean "bald head." Indeed,

Wyclif John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, and other variants; 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, biblical translator, reformer, Catholic priest, and a seminary professor at the University of O ...

translate
2 Kings 2:23
as "Stye up, ballard," where Coverdale translated the same passage as "Come up here thou balde head." There are other sources for this name, besides the Anglo-Saxon. Not all people bearing the name are of English origins. It is common, with native etymology among several Celtic nations, although the British Celtic form is likely the original, and it may be that "Bald head" is a false etymology designed to give the name English roots. The earliest form is Ap Alard, meaning the "son of the fox" in Welsh, and it passed from Wales to Brittany as Aballard, whence it became popular in France under the form Aballaird, and thence to Spain.

People with the surname Ballard

Arts, music, and writing

Agnes Ballard Agnes Ballard (September 14, 1877 – November 24, 1969) was an American architect and educator. She was the first female registered architect in Florida, the sixth woman admitted to the American Institute of Architects and the first from Florida ...

(1877–1969), American architect and educator *

Alimi Ballard Alimi Ballard (born October 17, 1977) is an American television actor. He is best known for his role as FBI agent David Sinclair on the CBS police procedural ''Numb3rs'' (2005–2010). Early life Ballard was born in The Bronx, New York and beg ...

(born 1977), American actor * Clint Ballard Jr. (1931–2008), American songwriter * Edward George Ballard (1791–1860) English miscellaneous writer *

Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...

(1943–1976), American pop singer *

Frank Ballard Frank Willard Ballard (December 7, 1929 – June 4, 2010) was an American puppeteer and educator. Serving as Professor of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut from 1956 to 1989, Ballard developed internationally renowned programs for ...

(1929–2010), American puppeteer *

Frankie Ballard Frank Robert Ballard IV (born December 16, 1982) is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs ...

(born 1982), American country music singer * George Ballard (c. 1706 – 1755), English antiquary and biographer *

Glen Ballard Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's 1995 album ''Jagged Little Pill'', which won Grammy Awards for Grammy Award fo ...

(born 1953), American songwriter and record producer *

Hank Ballard Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of The Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an inte ...

(1936–2003), American singer/songwriter * Horace D. Ballard (1984-), American writer and curator of the

Williams College Museum of Art The Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) is a college-affiliated art museum in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is located on the campus of Williams College, and is close to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and the Clark Ar ...

J. G. Ballard James Graham Ballard (15 November 193019 April 2009) was an English novelist, short story writer, satirist, and essayist known for provocative works of fiction which explored the relations between human psychology, technology, sex, and mass medi ...

(1930–2009), British writer *

Kaye Ballard Kaye Ballard (November 20, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Early life Ballard was born Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four children born to Italian immigrant parents, Lena (née Nac ...

(1925–2019), American actress, singer, and comedian *

Lucien Ballard Lucien Ballard, A.S.C. (May 6, 1908 – October 1, 1988) was an American cinematographer. He worked on more than 130 films during his 50-year career, collaborating multiple times with directors including Josef von Sternberg, John Brahm, Henry H ...

(1908-1988), American cinematographer *

Mary Canfield Ballard Mary Canfield Ballard ( pen name Minnie C. Ballard; June 22, 1852 – September 7, 1927) was an American poet and hymnwriter. She was a prolific contributor to periodicals, contributing occasionally to thirty of them. Early life and education Mar ...

(1852–1927), American poet * Robert Ballard II (c. 1575–1645), French Baroque lutenist and composer *

Russ Ballard Russell Glyn Ballard (born 31 October 1945) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Originally coming to prominence as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent, Ballard became a songwriter and producer by the late 1970s. His co ...

(born 1945), English singer/songwriter and musician *

Simone Ballard Simone Berthe Ballard (26 March 1895 – 8 October 1978) was a French operatic mezzo-soprano and contralto who sang leading parts, including premieres, at La Monnaie in Brussels. Career Simone Ballard was born in Sannois, Paris. Both her paren ...

(1897-1978), French opera singer *

Tom Ballard Thomas Colin Ballard (born 26 November 1989) is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. Early life Ballard was born to parents Judy and Neil Ballard and grew up in Warrnambool, Victoria. He attended Brauer Secondary College ...

(born 1989), Australian comedian and radio presenter

Military and politics

Barbara Ballard Barbara W. Ballard (born November 14, 1944) is a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 44th district. Born in Petersburg, Virginia, she has served since 1993. Prior to her election to the House, Ballard ser ...

(born 1944), American politician *

Bland Ballard Bland Williams Ballard (October 16, 1761 – September 5, 1853) was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky. Biography Bland Williams Ballard was born on October 16, 1761, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the eldest son of Bland Ballard. In 1779 ...

(1761–1853), American soldier and politician * Charles Ballard (politician) (1836–1891), U.S. politician in Connecticut * Clinton B. Ballard (1840–1946), American politician * Colin Robert Ballard, (1868–1941), Brigadier-General in the British Army and military author * Donald E. Ballard (born 1945), American soldier * Don Ballard (1927–2019), American politician and lawyer * Edward J. Ballard (c. 1790–1813), American naval officer *

George Alexander Ballard Admiral George Alexander Ballard (7 March 1862 – 16 September 1948) was an officer of the Royal Navy and a historian. Biography Ballard was the eldest son of General John Archibald Ballard (1829–1880), and his wife Joanna, the daughter of R ...

(1862–1948), British naval officer *

Greg Ballard Gregory Alan Ballard (born November 20, 1954) is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps. On November 6, 2007 ...

(born 1954), American politician *

Jackie Ballard Jacqueline Margaret Ballard (née Mackenzie; born 4 January 1953) has been a charity senior manager, politician and journalist in the United Kingdom. Her former roles include Director General of the RSPCA, Chief Executive of RNID and Chief Exec ...

(born 1953), British politician and journalist * John Archibald Ballard (1829–1880), British Lieutenant General *

John S. Ballard John Stuart Ballard (September 30, 1922 – April 21, 2012) was an American politician known for serving as the mayor of Akron, Ohio, for 13 years from 1966 until 1979. He was elected and reelected in 1963, 1967, 1971, and 1975 to become A ...

(1922–2012), American politician * Samuel James Ballard (1765–1829), Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy *

Thomas Ballard Colonel Thomas Ballard (1630/31 – March 24, 1689/90) was a prominent colonial Virginia landowner and politician who played a role in Bacon's Rebellion. He served on the Governor's Council 1670–79 and was Speaker of the Virginia House ...

(1630–1690), Virginia colonial politician *

Volant Vashon Ballard Volant Vashon Ballard CB ( bapt. 4 January 1774 – 12 October 1832) was a Rear-Admiral of the Royal Navy. He served as a midshipman with George Vancouver on his voyage to the north-west coast of America. Early career Christened on 4 January ...

(c. 1774–1832), Rear-Admiral of the Royal Navy, Companion of the Bath

Science and medicine

* Claudius Ballard (1890–1967), American physician * Dana H. Ballard (born 1946), American computer scientist and vision researcher * Edward Ballard (1820–1897), English physician * Geoffrey Ballard (1932–2008), Canadian geophysicist and entrepreneur *

Guy Ballard Guy Warren Ballard (July 28, 1878 – December 29, 1939) was an American mining engineer who, with his wife Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard, founded the "I AM" Activity. Ballard was born in Newton, Kansas and married his wife in Chicago in 1916. ...

(1878–1939), American mining engineer and Theosophist *

Martha Ballard Martha Moore Ballard (February 9, 1735 – June 9, 1812) was an American midwife and healer. Unusually for the time, Ballard kept a diary with thousands of entries over nearly three decades, which has provided historians with invaluable insi ...

(c. 1734–1812), American midwife and diarist *

Robert Ballard Robert Duane Ballard (born June 30, 1942) is an American retired Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology: maritime archaeology and archaeology of ...

(born 1942), American marine geologist and submarine explorer *

Sarah Ballard Sarah Ballard (born 1984, NYU Special ublicColloqium, 2013 October 11.) is an American Professor of Astronomy currently at the University of Florida. She has been a Torres Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a L'Oreal Fellow, an ...

(1983 or 1984–), astronomer

Sports

Charkey Ramon Dave Bruce Ballard (born 21 June 1950 in Gulgong), known as Charkey Ramon, is an Australian professional welter/ light middle/ middle/light heavyweight boxer of the 1970s, and referee of the 1970s and '80s, who won the Australian light middle ...

(born Dave Bruce Ballard in 1950), Australian boxer of the 1970s, and referee of the 1970s and '80s * Charles Ballard (active 1922-27), New Zealand footballer *

Chris Ballard Chris Ballard may refer to: * Chris Ballard (American football), American football general manager for the Indianapolis Colts * Chris Ballard (journalist), American sports writer for ''Sports Illustrated'' * Chris Ballard (politician), Canadian ...

, American sports journalist * Del Ballard Jr. (born 1963), American professional bowler *

Greg Ballard (basketball) Gregory Ballard (January 29, 1955 – November 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player and NBA assistant coach. A collegiate All-American at Oregon, Ballard averaged 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds over an eleven season NBA career wit ...

(1955-2016), American basketball player *

Jake Ballard Jacob Owen Ballard (born December 2, 1987) is a former American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Ohi ...

(born 1987), American National Football League player * Jeff Ballard (born 1963), American Major League Baseball pitcher *

Keith Ballard Keith Galen Ballard (born November 26, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who previously played in the National Hockey League with the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild. He played ...

(born 1982), American ice hockey player *

(born 1988), British mountaineer * Daniel Ballard (born 1999) British professional footballer, Arsenal and Blackpool

Other

Adolphus Ballard Adolphus Ballard (22 February 1867 – 1915) was an English historian and solicitor. The eldest son of Adolphus Ballard and Frances Ann née Stafford he was born in Chichester, Sussex, educated in Hastings, Sussex and articled as a solicitor in ...

(1867–1915), English historian *

Harold Ballard Harold Edwin Ballard (born Edwin Harold Ballard, July 30, 1903 – April 11, 1990) was a Canadian businessman and sportsman. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) as well as their home arena, Maple ...

(1903–90), Canadian businessman * John Ballard (died 1586), English Jesuit priest *

M. Russell Ballard Melvin Russell Ballard Jr. (born October 8, 1928) is an American businessman and religious leader who is currently the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has ...

(born 1928), American businessman and Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints *

Melvin J. Ballard Melvin Joseph Ballard (February 9, 1873 – July 30, 1939) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His grandson, M. Russell Ballard, also became an apostle. Birth a ...

(1873–1939), American Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints *

William Rankin Ballard Captain William Rankin Ballard (August 12, 1847 – February 4, 1929) was a Seattle pioneer, banker, and land developer. He was one of the founders of the city of Ballard, Washington (incorporated in 1890) which was later annexed to the growing ci ...

(1847–1929), American banker and land developer {{surname, Ballard English-language surnames Surnames of English origin