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Archiver > GEN-SLAVIC > 1997-09 > 0873644923


From: Joseph M Ballay <jb9p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: BALLAY...what's in a name?
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997 11:08:43 -0400


I have been working on my family (BALLAY) history for a couple of years
and have pretty good data, but the origin of the name itself remains a
mystery.

Any ideas?

Here's what I know so far:

My ancestors came from what is now north-western Slovakia; from the town
of Bytca and nearby villages such as Horny Hricov and Hricovske
Podhradie. I have records showing that they lived in that area under the
Ballay name since the 17th century, but before that they apparently
relocated from the south, near the Danube river. At about the same time
the family name changed from KOZAR to BALLAY-KOZAR to BALLAY. There are
plausible family traditions that explain the origin of Kozar, but where
did the Ballay name come from?

My great-granfather, Karol Ballay (1850-1908), was a magistrate in Bytca
and used his access to various records to construct a family history. In
it he speculates on the on the origin of the Ballay name, suggesting
that the name originated to describe some characteristic of one of our
ancestors, but he leaves that line of thought without developing it. If
he was right, then Ballay should mean something or be derived from a
root that refers to some place or quality, or something. Following this
line of reasoning I asked several native-speaker Slovaks and always got
the same answer... "it doesn't mean anything". I even went to one
Hungarian, wondering if there might be a Hungarian root to it, but
again... nothing.

Recently I learned of another possible origin when I exchanged
information with another Ballay person. Though he and I can't identify
any common ancestor, our families came from the same area of Slovakia.
According to his grandfather, all the Ballays in Slovakia were
decendants of French Hugenots who came to that region escaping religious
persecution of the counter-reformation. Well, the historical chronology
agrees pretty well with the time when my family name changed, and it
might explain the family relocation as well. Also, there is a town of
"Ballay" in France, east of Paris. But, it's a bit puzzling that my
great-grandfather, who was so thorough in other aspects of the
genealogy, wasn't aware of the possible French origin, or didn't report
it.

So... is there anything to the French connection? Or does BALLAY mean
something after all... in Slovak or Hungarian, or French?
Or what...?

I'm hoping that one of you out there can shed some light on this. And
maybe this will reach some other Ballays too.

Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Joe Ballay

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