Ball ( surname ) - wikipedia Ball ( surname ) Ball is an English surname that has multiple potential origins, as do quite a few other short surnames : one origin relates to the shortened form of the given name Baldwin Middle English another purported origin is related to living near a `` knoll or rounded hill '' the surname may also descend from the Old Norse personal name `` Balle '' it could be a toponymic surname, related to Ball, Cornwall, England In the United Kingdom, according to a study based on data available from Experian, the surname declined in use by 55 % between 1881 and 2008, possibly though not certainly due to negative connotation elicited by the surname. Contents 1 List of people with the surname 1.1 Arts and music 1.2 Business 1.3 Military 1.4 Politics, law, and diplomacy 1.5 Religion 1.6 Sciences and mathematics 1.7 Sports 1.8 Writing and education 1.9 Other 2 See also 3 Notes 4 Further reading List of people with the surname Arts and music Alan Ball ( screenwriter ) ( born 1957 ) Angeline Ball, actor Ashleigh Ball ( voice actress ) ( born 1983 ), Canadian voice actor and musician Christopher Ball, British composer Dave Ball ( musician ) ( born 1950 ), English guitarist David Ball ( musician ) ( born 1959 ), English electronic musician ( usually known as Dave ) David Ball ( country musician ) ( born 1953 ), American country musician Ed Ball ( musician ) ( living ), English singer - songwriter, musician and businessman Estil C. Ball, American folk musician Johnny Ball ( born 1938 ), English television personality 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 Michael Ball ( singer ) ( born 1962 ), English actor and singer Roger Ball ( designer ), industrial designer Nicholas Ball ( actor ) ( born 1946 ), English actor Samuel Ball ( actor ), American actor Sonja Ball ( born 1956 ), Canadian voice actor 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 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 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, 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 ( pioneer ) ( 1794 -- 1884 ), American pioneer and state politician 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, British M.P. 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 William Lee Ball, Virginia congressman William Macmahon Ball ( 1901 -- 1986 ), Australian academic and diplomat Religion David Standish Ball ( born 1926 ), American Episcopal bishop John Ball ( priest ) ( died 1381 ), English Lollard priest ; prominent figure in the 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 ) ( born 1932 ), disgraced former Bishop of Lewes and twin brother of Michael Ball Sciences and mathematics Benjamin Ball ( physician ) ( 1833 -- 1893 ), English - born French psychiatrist Elmer Darwin Ball ( 1870 -- 1943 ), American entomologist George Ball ( entomologist ) ( born 1926 ), American entomologist John M. Ball ( born 1948 ), British mathematician John Ball ( naturalist ) ( 1818 -- 1889 ), Irish politician, naturalist and Alpine traveller Keith Martin Ball ( born 1960 ), English mathematician Leo Anton Karl de Ball ( 1853 -- 1916 ), German - Austrian astronomer Loren C. Ball, American astronomer Mary Ball ( 1812 -- 1892 ), Irish naturalist and entomologist Robert Stawell Ball ( 1840 - 1913 ), 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 Alice Ball ( born 1892 ), chemist ; invented the Ball Method for treating leprosy 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 ) 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, American Olympic swimmer Daniel Ball, Canadian Hockey Goaltender ( born 1989 ) Dave Ball ( defensive end ) ( born 1981 ), American professional football player David Ball ( wide receiver ) ( born 1984 ), American professional football player Eric Ball ( American football ) ( born 1966 ), American football player Jeff Ball ( baseball ), baseball player John Ball ( golfer ) ( 1861 -- 1940 ), English amateur golfer John Ball ( soccer ) ( born 1972 ), American professional soccer player Kevin Ball, 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, baseball player Reggie Ball ( born 1984 ), American professional football player 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, 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 Donna Ball, writer Edward Ball ( American author ) ( born 1958 ) Hugo Ball ( 1886 -- 1927 ), German author and poet Isabel Worrell Ball ( 1855 -- 1931 ), American journalist and editor John Ball ( American author ) ( 1911 -- 1988 ) John Ball ( Puritan ) ( 1585 -- 1640 ), English author and educator Phil Ball ( writer ) ( born 1957 ), British writer and educator 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 Mary Ball Washington ( 1706 -- 1789 ) mother of George Washington Ron Ball, British Police and Crime Commissioner See also Ball Ball ( disambiguation ) Human name disambiguation pages : Alan Ball ( disambiguation ), David Ball ( disambiguation ), Phil Ball ( disambiguation ) Notes ^ Jump up to : `` Last Name : Ball '', Internet Surname Database, Name Origin Research, retrieved 21 Dec 2011 Jump up ^ Seary, E ; Kirwin, William ; Lynch Sheila MP, Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, p. 20, ISBN 9780773517820 -- via Google Books Jump up ^ Garth, John ( 25 March 2009 ), `` R.I.P. Smellie, Bottom and Balls - the surnames that are dying of embarrassment '', Mail Online, United Kingdom : Associated Newspapers, retrieved 22 Dec 2011 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. Surname list This page lists people with the surname Ball. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person 's given name ( s ) to the link. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ball_(surname)&oldid=850938639 '' Categories : Surnames English - language surnames Jewish surnames Hidden categories : Articles with short description All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Русский Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 19 July 2018, at 00 : 01 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: where did the last name ball originate from
Answer: English surname