Ballou Family History

French: possibly an altered form of French and Flemish Ballieu or Balliu surnames mainly found in Nord in France and in neighbouring Flanders in Belgium. If so it is either habitational from one of the numerous places in Picardy, Artois, and Normandy called Bailleul (Old French Balliol) or an occupational name from Old Picard and Middle Dutch bailli(e)u, ba(i)lleu, baillu (Old French baillif, balliu) ‘bailiff’.

Alternatively, the name Ballou might be from the ancient Germanic personal name Balowulf composed of the elements balo ‘torment, wickedness’ and wulf ‘wolf’. The surname Ballou is rare in France. Alternatively, it could be an altered form of French Belleau or perhaps Beaulieu.

The name is sometimes (also) said to be an altered form of Boileau but this is problematic in terms of family history and phonological development. Compare Ballew, Ballow, Belew, Bellew, and Belue.

Alternatively, a rare variant of English Ballow or an altered form of English Bellew.