Ball (surname)

Ball is an English surname that has multiple potential origins, as do many 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), American screenwriter
• Angeline Ball (born 1969), actor
• Ashleigh Adele Ball (born 1983), Canadian voice actress and singer
• Ashleigh Julia Ball (born 1986), field hockey player
• Christopher Ball (1936–2022), 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
• F. Carlton Ball (1911–1992), American multidisciplinary artist and teacher
• Jack Ball (artist), Australian artist, winner of the 2025 Ramsay Art Prize
• John Ball (musician) (born 1990), American Christian musician
• Kenny Ball (1930–2013), English jazz musician
• Kirshnik Ball (1994–2022), American rapper known professionally as Takeoff (name is also written as "Kirsnick" as, for example, in ASCAP's repertory)
• 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 (dancer) (born 1993), English ballet dancer
• Michael Ball (singer) (born 1962), English actor and singer
• Roger Ball (designer), industrial designer
• Nicholas Ball (actor) (1946–2024), English actor
• Robert Ball (artist) (1918–2008), British artist
• Russell Ball (1891-1942), American photographer
• 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

• The Ball brothers (Lucius, William, Edmund, Frank, and George), 19th-century American industrialists and philanthropists
• Decimus Alfred Ball (1836–1890), British slumlord
• Edward Ball (businessman) (1888–1981), American businessman and political figure
• Ernie Ball (1930–2004), American entrepreneur, musician, and guitar innovator
• 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, co-host of Breaking Points Krystal & Saagar
• 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
• Frank Livingston Ball (1885–1966), American state 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 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
• 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) (1926–2019), 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
• W. W. Rouse Ball (1850–1925), British mathematician
• 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 (racing driver) (1925–1954), American racing 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
• 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
• Josh Ball (born 1998), American football player
• 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 (American football) (born 1964), American football player
• 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 (1944–2023), NFL lineman
• Stacey Ball (born 1973), Canadian pair skater
• 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 (1908–1947), 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 (1943–2022), Canadian naval architect
• Ron Ball (born 1950), British Police and Crime Commissioner
• William Ball (suffragist) (1862–?), British workers union member, jailed and force-fed for his support of women's suffrage

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

1. Bowman, William Dodgson (2012) [1932]. "Chapter IV: Patronymics" . The Story of Surnames and Genealogy (Republication). Read Books Limited. Baldwin. ISBN   9781447487357 – via Google Books.
2. "Last Name: Ball", Internet Surname Database, Name Origin Research, retrieved 21 Dec 2011
3. Heck, Earl L. W. (1928). Colonel William Ball of Virginia, the Great-Grandfather of Washington. London – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
4. Seary, E; Kirwin, William; Lynch Sheila MP (1998), Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 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 Books). Limited Edition. Retrieved 21 December 2011.