Ball (surname)
Ball is a surname of English origin.
According to the Internet Surname Database, this surname has multiple potential origins, as do quite a few other short surnames:[1]
- one origin relates to body type and arose as a nickname, originally from medieval English
- likewise, another origin relates to baldness, again arising as a nickname
- another purported origin is related to living near a "knoll or rounded hill"
- the surname may also descend from the Old Norse "Balle"
A multiplicity of origins for this surname is also supported by genetic analysis.[2]
In the United Kingdom, according to a study based on data available from Experian, the surname has declined in use by 55% between 1881 and 2008, possibly though not certainly due to negative connotation elicited by the surname.[3]
List of people with the surname
Ball is a surname shared by several notable people:
- born before 1800
- John Ball (priest) (died 1381), English Lollard priest; prominent figure in the Peasants' Revolt
- Bartholomew Ball (died 1573), Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1553-1554; husband of Margaret Ball and father of Walter Ball and Nicholas Ball
- Margaret Ball (1515–1584), beatified by the Roman Catholic Church as martyr of the faith; wife of Bartholomew Ball and mother of Walter Ball and Nicholas Ball
- Walter Ball (Alderman) (died 1598), Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1580-1581; son of Bartholomew Ball and Margaret Ball
- Nicholas Ball (Alderman) (died 1609), Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1582-1583; son of Bartholomew Ball and Margaret Ball
- William Ball (astronomer) (or Balle), British astronomer; Founder Fellow of the Royal Society (c. 1627–1690)
- John Ball (Puritan) (1585–1640), English Puritan author and educator
- Alexander Ball (c. 1756 – 1809), English Admiral of the Royal Navy and Governor of Malta
- William Lee Ball, Virginia congressman (1781–1824)
- Catherine Ball, later called the Baroness de Calabrella (c. 1788 – 1856), British writer and newspaper owner
- Henry Lidgbird Ball (1756–1818), British Royal Navy officer, who discovered and explored Lord Howe Island
- John Ball (pioneer) (1794–1884), American pioneer and state politician
- Edward Hughes Ball (1798–1863), later Edward Hughes Ball Hughes or "The Golden Ball", British dandy
- Mary Ball Washington (1706–1789) Mother of George Washington, born Mary Ball
- born before 1900
- Nicholas Ball (Irish lawyer) (died 1865), Irish barrister
- Edward Ball (congressman) (1811–1872), American national politician
- Mary Ball (1812–1892), Irish naturalist and entomologist
- John Ball (naturalist) (1818–1889), Irish politician, naturalist and Alpine traveller
- Thomas Ball (artist) (1819–1911), American sculptor
- Mottrom D. Ball, American government official
- Robert Stawell Ball, astronomer
- Webb C. Ball (1847–1922), American Railroad Engineer, who established the first rules for railroad chronometers
- Leo Anton Karl de Ball (1853–1916), German-Austrian astronomer
- Edmund Ball (1855–1925), American entrepreneur, one of the Ball Brothers
- Frank Ball (1857–1943), American entrepreneur, one of the Ball Brothers
- Robert James Ball, British M.P.
- Thomas Henry Ball (1859–1944), American national politician
- L. Heisler Ball (1861–1932), American physician and national politician
- John Ball (golfer) (1861–1940), English amateur golfer
- Elmer Darwin Ball (1870–1943), American entomologist
- Walter Ball (baseball player) (1877–1946), Negro League baseball player
- Neal Ball, baseball player
- Hugo Ball (1886–1927), German author and poet
- William Ball (footballer), English footballer (1886–1942)
- Edward Ball (businessman) (1888–1981), American businessman and political figure
- Albert Ball (1896–1917), English First World War fighter pilot; recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Thomas R. Ball (1896–1943), U.S. Representative from Connecticut
- Clifford Ball, author
- born before 1950
- William Macmahon Ball, Australian academic and diplomat (1901–1986)
- Joseph H. Ball (1905–1993), American journalist and national politician
- Rudi Ball (1910–1975), only athlete of Jewish descent to represent Germany in the 1936 Winter Olympic Games
- Lucille Ball (1911–1989), American comedienne and actress
- Walter Ball (cartoonist) (born 1911)
- John Ball (American author) (1911–1988), American author
- Estil C. Ball, American folk musician
- Harvey Ball (1921–2001), American entrepreneur; earliest known designer of the Smiley
- Alan Ball, Sr. (1924–1982), English professional footballer and football club manager
- Bobby Ball (auto racer) (1925–1954), American racecar driver
- David Standish Ball (born 1926), American Episcopal bishop
- Ernie Ball (1930–2004), American entrepreneur, musician, and guitar innovator
- Kenny Ball (1930–2013), English jazz musician
- William Ball (stage director), American stage director (1931–1991)
- Michael Ball (clergyman) (born 1932), English Anglican clergyman; former Bishop of Truro
- Christopher Ball, British composer
- Johnny Ball (born 1938), English television personality
- Sam Ball, NFL lineman
- Arnie Ball (born 1944), American volleyball coach (also father of Lloy Ball, below)
- Alan Ball, Jr. (1945–2007), English professional footballer and football club manager
- Nicholas Ball (actor) (born 1946), English actor
- John M. Ball (born 1948), British mathematician
- William L. Ball III, United States Secretary of the Navy
- Marcia Ball (born 1949), American blues singer and pianist
- Professor Samuel Ball (educator) (1935–2009), Australian education researcher
- born in or after 1950
- Dave Ball (musician) (born 1950), English guitarist
- Catie Ball, Olympian
- Donna Ball, writer
- David Ball (country musician) (born 1953), American country musician
- Sonja Ball (born 1956), Canadian voice actress
- Alan Ball (screenwriter) (born 1957)
- Edward Ball (American author) (born 1958)
- David Ball (musician) (born 1959), English electronic musician (usually known as Dave)
- Michael Ball (singer) (born 1962), English actor and singer
- Martin Ball, actor
- Kevin Ball, soccer player
- Angeline Ball, actress
- Jeff Ball (baseball), baseball player
- Zoë Ball (born 1970), English radio and television personality
- John Ball (soccer) (born 1972), American professional soccer player
- Lloy Ball (born 1972), American volleyball player
- Samuel Ball (actor), American actor
- Gregory R. Ball (born 1977), American state politician
- Michael Ball (footballer) (born 1979), English professional footballer
- Dave Ball (defensive end) (born 1981), American professional football player
- Ashleigh Ball (voice actress) (born 1983), Canadian voice actress and musician
- David Ball (wide receiver) (born 1984), American professional football player
- Reggie Ball (born 1984), American professional football player
- Luke Ball (born 1984), Australian rules footballer
- Alan Ball (American football) (born 1985)
- Ashleigh Ball (field hockey) (born 1986), English field hockey player
- Carsten Ball (born 1987), Australian tennis player
- Ed Ball (musician) (living), English singer-songwriter, musician and businessman
- Loren C. Ball, American astronomer (active since 2000)
- Roger Ball, industrial designer
- Ron Ball, British Police and Crime Commissioner
- Montee Ball (born 1990), American professional football player
See also
- Ball and Ball (disambiguation)
- Human name disambiguation pages: Alan Ball (disambiguation), David Ball (disambiguation), Phil Ball (disambiguation)
Notes
- ↑ "Last Name: Ball", Internet Surname Database (Name Origin Research), retrieved 21 Dec 2011
- ↑ Perkins, Steven C.; Ball, Mike (16 Jun 2006), "Ball Surname Y Chromosome DNA Study", RootsWeb, retrieved 21 Dec 2011
- ↑ Garth, John (25 March 2009), "R.I.P. Smellie, Bottom and Balls - the surnames that are dying of embarrassment", Mail Online (Associated Newspapers), retrieved 22 Dec 2011
Further reading
- Ball, David G. (ed.), The New England Ball Project, retrieved 21 Dec 2011
- Roach, Cheryl Capps (2010), "Chapter 13", Searching For My Grandfathers-From the North Seas To The Oklahoma Oil Pools (Google Book), Limited Edition Publishers, retrieved 21 Dec 2011