Ballard is a surname of English origin. It likely derives from Middle English "ball," meaning "white spot," plus the suffix "-ard," and would therefore mean "bald head." Indeed, Wyclif translated 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.
Arts, music, and writing
Alimi Ballard (born 1977), American actor
Carol Ballard, English writer
Clint Ballard, Jr. (1931–2008), American songwriter
Edward George Ballard (1791–1860) English miscellaneous writer
Florence Ballard (1943–1976), American pop singer
Frankie Ballard (born 1982), American country music singer
Glen Ballard (born 1953), American songwriter and record producer
Hank Ballard (1936–2003), American singer/songwriter
J. G. Ballard (1930–2009), British writer
Kaye Ballard (born 1925), American actress, singer, and comedian
Robert Ballard (lutenist) (c. 1575–1645), French Baroque lutenist and composer
Russ Ballard (born 1945), English singer/songwriter and musician
Simone Ballard (born 1897?), French opera singer
Tom Ballard (born 1989), Australian comedian and radio presenter
Military and politics
Bland Ballard (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, Awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam in 1968.
Edward J. Ballard (c. 1790–1813), American naval officer
George Alexander Ballard (1862–1948), British naval officer
Greg Ballard (born 1954), American politician
Jackie Ballard (born 1953), British politician and journalist
John Archibald Ballard (1829–1880), British Lieutenant General
Samuel James Ballard (1765–1829), Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy
Thomas Ballard (1630–1690), Virginia colonial politician
Volant Vashon Ballard (c. 1774–1832), Rear-Admiral of the Royal Navy, Companion of the Bath
Science and medicine
Claudius Ballard (1890–1967), American physician
Edward Ballard (1820–1897), English physician
Geoffrey Ballard (businessman) (1932–2008), Canadian geophysicist and entrepreneur
Guy Ballard (1878–1939), American mining engineer and Theosophist
Martha Ballard (c. 1734–1812), American midwife and diarist
Robert Ballard (born 1942), American marine geologist and submarine explorer
Sarah Ballard (1983 or 1984–), astronomer
Charkey Ramon (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, American sports journalist
Del Ballard Jr. (born 1963), American professional bowler
Greg Ballard (basketball) (1955-2016), American basketball player
Jake Ballard (born 1987), American National Football League player
Jeff Ballard (born 1963), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Keith Ballard (born 1982), American ice hockey player
Adolphus Ballard (1867–1915), English historian
Harold Ballard (1903–90), Canadian businessman
John Ballard (died 1586), English Jesuit priest
M. Russell Ballard (born 1928), American businessman and Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Melvin J. Ballard (1873–1939), American Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
William Rankin Ballard (1847–1929), American banker and land developer
Ballard (surname) Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
