Ball (surname)
Ball is an English surname that has multiple potential origins, as do quite a few other short surnames:
- one origin suggests that Ball is a shortened form, a "favorite contraction",[1] of the given name Baldwin, dating "from Norman times"[2][3]
- another purported origin is related to living near a "knoll or rounded hill"[2]
- the surname may also descend from the Old Norse personal name "Balle"[2]
- it could be a toponymic surname, related to Ball, Cornwall, England[4]
According to Bowman, Ball and related names had only "limited application as personal names and that generally they have come into existence as nicknames."[1]
List of people with the surname
Arts and music
see Writing and education below for writers
- Alan Ball (screenwriter) (born 1957)
- Angeline Ball (born 1969), actor
- Ashleigh Ball (voice actress) (born 1983), Canadian voice actor and musician
- Christopher Ball (born 1936), British composer
- David Ball (electronic musician) (born 1959), English electronic musician (usually known as Dave), member of Soft Cell, The Grid
- David Ball (country singer) (born 1953), American country singer
- Dave Ball (guitarist) (1950–2015), guitarist formerly of Procol Harum, Bedlam, Long John Baldry, etc.
- Dave "Taif" Ball, British bass guitarist with metal bands Killing Joke and Voodoocult
- Ed Ball (musician) (born 1959), English singer-songwriter, musician and businessman
- Estil C. Ball (1913-1978), American folk musician
- John Ball (musician) (born 1990), American Christian musician
- Kenny Ball (1930–2013), English jazz musician
- Kirsnick Ball (born 1994), American rapper known professionally as Takeoff
- Lucille Ball (1911–1989), American comedian and actor
- Marcia Ball (born 1949), American blues singer and pianist
- Martin Ball (born 1964), English actor
- Martin J. Ball (born 1951), Welsh professor
- Matthew Ball (born 1993), English ballet dancer
- Michael Ball (singer) (born 1962), English actor and singer
- Roger Ball (designer), industrial designer
- Nicholas Ball (actor) (born 1946), English actor
- Robert Ball (artist) (1918–2008), British artist
- Bobby Ball (1944–2020), English comedian
- Thomas Ball (artist) (1819–1911), American sculptor
- Walter Ball (cartoonist) (1911–1995)
- Wilfrid Ball (1853–1917), British painter
- William Ball (stage director), American stage director (1931–1991)
- Zoë Ball (born 1970), English radio and television personality
Business
- Decimus Alfred Ball (1836-1890), British slumlord
- Edmund Ball (1855–1925), American entrepreneur, one of the Ball Brothers
- Edward Ball (businessman) (1888–1981), American businessman and political figure
- Ernie Ball (1930–2004), American entrepreneur, musician, and guitar innovator
- Frank Ball (1857–1943), American entrepreneur, one of the Ball Brothers
- Harvey Ball (1921–2001), American entrepreneur; earliest known designer of the Smiley
Media
- Dave Ball, Survivor: Samoa competitor
- Johnny Ball (born 1938), English children's television presenter
- Krystal Ball (born 1981), American political pundit, host of Rising with The Hill's Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti
- Molly Ball, American political journalist and writer
Military
- Albert Ball (1896–1917), English World War I fighter pilot; recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Alexander Ball (c. 1756 – 1809), English admiral of the Royal Navy and Governor of Malta
- Henry Lidgbird Ball (1756–1818), British Royal Navy officer who discovered and explored Lord Howe Island
- William L. Ball III (born 1948), United States Secretary of the Navy
Politics, law, and diplomacy
- Bartholomew Ball (died 1573), Mayor of Dublin 1553-1554
- Edward Ball (congressman) (1811–1872), American national politician
- Gregory R. Ball (born 1977), American state politician
- Hiram J. Ball (1832-1908), American state politician and farmer
- John Ball (16th-century MP) (c.1518–1556), English Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich
- John Ball (assemblyman) (1756–1838), American soldier and politician
- John Thomas Ball (1815–1898), Irish barrister and politician, MP for Dublin University 1868–1875
- Joseph H. Ball (1905–1993), American journalist and national politician
- L. Heisler Ball (1861–1932), American physician and national politician
- Mottrom D. Ball (1835–1887), American government official
- Nicholas Ball (Alderman) (died 1609), Mayor of Dublin 1582–1583
- Nicholas Ball (Irish lawyer) (died 1865), Irish barrister
- Robert James Ball (1857–1928), Canadian politician
- Thomas Henry Ball (1859–1944), American national politician
- Thomas R. Ball (1896–1943), U.S. Representative from Connecticut
- Walter Ball (Alderman) (died 1598), Mayor of Dublin 1580-1581
- Whitney Lynn Ball (1962-2015), American philanthropist
- William Lee Ball (1781-1824), Virginia congressman
- William Macmahon Ball (1901–1986), Australian academic and diplomat
Religion
- David Ball (bishop) (1926–2017), Episcopal bishop of Albany, NY
- David Standish Ball (1926-2017), American Episcopal bishop
- John Ball (bishop) (1934–2016), British Anglican bishop
- John Ball (clergyman) (before 1760 – after 1795), African-American minister from Nova Scotia
- John Ball (minister) (1665–1745), English Presbyterian minister
- John Ball (priest) (c. 1338 – 1381), English radical priest and leader of 1381 Peasants' Revolt
- Margaret Ball (1515–1584), beatified by the Roman Catholic Church as martyr of the faith
- Michael Ball (bishop) (born 1932), English Anglican clergyman; former Bishop of Truro
- Peter Ball (bishop) (1932–2019), disgraced former Bishop of Lewes and twin brother of Michael Ball
Sciences and mathematics
- Alice Ball (1892-1916), chemist; invented the Ball Method for treating leprosy
- Benjamin Ball (physician) (1833–1893), English-born French psychiatrist
- Bobby Ball (racing driver) (1925–1954), American racing driver
- Catherine Ball, English-Australian businesswomen involved in making drones
- Elmer Darwin Ball (1870–1943), American entomologist
- Ernest Aubrey Ball (1909–1997), American botanist
- George Ball (entomologist) (born 1926), American entomologist
- John M. Ball (born 1948), British mathematician
- John Ball (cognitive scientist) (born 1963), American cognitive scientist
- John Ball (geologist) (1872–1941), English geologist
- John Ball (naturalist) (1818–1889), Irish naturalist and politician, MP for County Carlow 1857–1880
- Keith Martin Ball (born 1960), English mathematician
- Leo Anton Karl de Ball (1853–1916), German-Austrian astronomer
- Loren C. Ball (born 1948), American astronomer
- Mary Ball (1812–1892), Irish naturalist and entomologist
- Peter William Ball (born 1932), English-born Canadian botanist
- Robert Ball (naturalist) (1802–1857), Irish naturalist
- Robert Stawell Ball (1840–1913), Irish astronomer
- Webb C. Ball (1847–1922), American railroad engineer who established the first rules for railroad chronometers
- William Ball (astronomer) (or Balle), British astronomer; founder Fellow of the Royal Society
Sports
- Alan Ball, Jr. (1945–2007), English professional footballer and football club manager
- Alan Ball, Sr. (1924–1982), English professional footballer and football club manager
- Alan Ball (American football) (born 1985)
- Alan Ball (weightlifter) (born 1943), American Olympic weightlifter
- Alf Ball (footballer, born 1890) (1890–1952), English footballer
- Alf Ball (footballer, born 1873) (1873–1940), English footballer
- Allan Ball (1943–2018), English footballer with Queen of the South
- Arnie Ball (born 1944), American volleyball coach; father of Lloy Ball (below)
- Ashleigh Ball (field hockey) (born 1986), English field hockey player
- Bobby Ball (auto racer) (1925–1954), American racecar driver
- Carsten Ball (born 1987), Australian tennis player
- Catie Ball (born 1951), American Olympic swimmer
- Chris Ball (born 1963), American football coach and former player
- Daniel Ball, Canadian Hockey Goaltender (born 1989)
- Dave Ball (defensive end) (born 1981), American football player
- David Ball (footballer) (born 1989), English footballer
- David Ball (wide receiver) (born 1984), American football player
- David Ball (sport shooter), British sport shooter
- Eric Ball (American football) (born 1966), American football player
- Jeff Ball (baseball) (born 1969), baseball player
- John Ball (golfer) (1861–1940), English amateur golfer; winner of The Open Championship
- Jack Ball (footballer, born 1900) (1900–1989), English footballer for Bury and England
- Jack Ball (footballer, born 1907) (1907–1976), English football forward
- Jack Ball (footballer, born 1923) (1923–1999), English football goalkeeper
- John Ball (footballer, born 1925) (1925–1998), English footballer for Bolton Wanderers
- John Ball (soccer) (born 1972), American footballer for Rochester Rhinos
- Kevin Ball (born 1964), soccer player
- A family of American sportspeople:
- LaVar Ball (born 1968), football player, father of the following basketball players:
- Lonzo Ball (born 1997)
- LiAngelo Ball (born 1998)
- LaMelo Ball (born 2001)
- Lloy Ball (born 1972), American volleyball player
- Luke Ball (born 1984), Australian rules footballer
- Michael Ball (footballer) (born 1979), English professional footballer
- Montee Ball (born 1990), American professional football player
- Neal Ball (1881-1957), baseball player
- Neiron Ball (1992-2019), American football player
- Phil Ball (American football) (1925–2008), college football coach
- Phil Ball (baseball) (1864–1932), owner of the St. Louis Terriers
- Rachel Ball (born 1991), English boxer
- Reggie Ball (born 1984), American professional football player
- Robert Ball (bowls) (born 1956), Australian lawn bowler
- Robert Ball (judoka) (born 1964), Australian judoka
- Rudi Ball (1910–1975), German-South African; only athlete of Jewish descent to represent Germany in the 1936 Winter Olympic Games; Hall of Fame
- Sam Ball (born 1944), NFL lineman
- Walter Ball (baseball player) (1877–1946), Negro league baseball player
- William Ball (footballer), English footballer (1886–1942)
Writing and education
- Catherine Ball, known as the Baroness de Calabrella (c. 1788–1856), British writer and newspaper owner
- Clifford Ball, author
- David W. Ball (born 1949), American novelist
- Donna Ball (born 1951), writer
- Edward Ball (American author) (born 1959)
- Hugo Ball (1886–1927), German author and poet
- Isabel Worrell Ball (1855–1931), American journalist and editor
- John Ball (Puritan) (1585–1640), English author and scholar
- John Ball (pioneer) (1794–1884), American explorer
- John Ball (novelist) (1911–1988), American novelist
- Phil Ball (writer) (born 1957), British writer based in Spain
- Philip Ball (born 1962), English science writer
- Samuel Ball (educator) (1935–2009), Australian education researcher
Other
- Edward Hughes Ball (1798–1863), later Edward Hughes Ball Hughes or "The Golden Ball", British dandy
- Helen Ball, senior British police officer
- Martha Violet Ball (1811–1894), American educator, philanthropist, activist, writer, editor
- Mary Ball Washington (1706–1789) mother of George Washington
- Robert M. Ball (1914–2008), American Social Security official
- Robert W. Ball (born 1943), Canadian naval architect
- Ron Ball (born 1950), British Police and Crime Commissioner
See also
- Ball
- Ball (disambiguation)
- Human name disambiguation pages: Alan Ball (disambiguation), David Ball (disambiguation), John Ball (disambiguation), Phil Ball (disambiguation), Robert Ball (disambiguation)
Notes
- Bowman, William Dodgson (2012) [1932]. "Chapter IV: Patronymics". The Story of Surnames and Genealogy (Republication). Read Books Limited. Baldwin. ISBN 9781447487357 – via Google Books.
- "Last Name: Ball", Internet Surname Database, Name Origin Research, retrieved 21 Dec 2011
- Heck, Earl L. W. (1928). Colonel William Ball of Virginia, the Great-Grandfather of Washington. The Damron-Dameron Genealogy, Compiled by H. F. Snow. London – via Google Books.
- Seary, E; Kirwin, William; Lynch Sheila MP, Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, p. 20, ISBN 9780773517820 – via Google Books
Further reading
- Ball, David G. (ed.). The New England Ball Project. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- Roach, Cheryl Capps (2010). "Chapter 13". Searching For My Grandfathers: From the North Seas To The Oklahoma Oil Pools (Google Book). Limited Edition. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
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