Fun Facts About the Name Balsam
- 6 babies named Balsam: U.S. records list 6 babies given the name Balsam from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Balsam Mean?
Balsam is an English word name meaning "fragrant resin" or "balm." The noun came into Middle English from Old French balsame, which descended from Latin balsamum and Greek balsamon (βάλσαμον). The Greek term is generally traced to a Semitic source; the usual suggestion is Hebrew baśām, "spice" or "perfume," while an older explanation connects it with Hebrew baʿal shemen, "lord of oil." The exact derivation remains uncertain.
The word originally named an aromatic resin used in perfume, incense, and medicinal ointments; the sense of a soothing or healing agent is a later figurative extension. In Arabic, بلسم (balsam) means "balm" or "balsam" and is also used as a feminine given name.
Balsam Name History & Origins
Middle English balsam was the English form of Old French balsame, and it named the aromatic resin that Greek and Roman writers had called balsamon and balsamum. The substance was traded around the ancient Mediterranean and used in incense and medicinal ointments, especially resins from Commiphora trees.
In later English, balsam also became a plant name, used for the balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and garden balsam (Impatiens balsamina), among others. As an English personal name, Balsam is a direct use of the word rather than a traditional saint's name or a diminutive. In Arabic-speaking communities, بلسم is used as a feminine given name from the ordinary word for balm.
How Popular is the Name Balsam?
Balsam has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2019. Its best rank was #14,090 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #14,090 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Balsam Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Balsam's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Balsam's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.