Bales Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Bales Family

2,099 Bales records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

2,099Records in our database

1831Earliest birth

1Documented families

5Biographies

See the Bales family trees →101 Bales families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

2,099 Bales records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Missouri (694 of 2,099)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: Albert Bales, born 1869, Indiana
Earliest in the county histories: James A. Bales, born 1831

Most common first names

William62 John57 James53 Robert46 Mary41 Charles31 George22 Richard22 Helen19 Kenneth18 Raymond18 Donald17

Documented families

Bales families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Bales family of Randolph CountyIndianaStarts: John Bales (b. 1807)Most recent: Cliff G. Bales (b. 1880)

The earliest Baless in the county histories

William BalesBorn 1809Union County, Ohio James A. BalesBorn 1831Child of Pleasant BalesRandolph County, Indiana William BalesBorn 1834Jackson County, Missouri David BalesBorn 1836, Clark CountyChild of Moses Bales and Catharine (Graves) BalesMadison County, Ohio Isaac N. BalesBorn 1837Child of Pleasant Bales and Mary (Abshire) BalesRandolph County, Indiana J. F. BalesBorn 1848Pickaway County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

101 Bales families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

6 Bales death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

17 Bales people in 11 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (5)

James A. BalesBorn 1831 · Randolph County, Indiana Isaac N. BalesBorn 1837 · Randolph County, Indiana William H. BalesBorn 1857 · Randolph County, Indiana Alonzo L. BalesBorn 1864 · Randolph County, Indiana Cliff G. BalesBorn 1880 · Randolph County, Indiana

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Bales family

Found your Bales? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Bales genealogy: FAQ

Where were Bales ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 2,099 Bales records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Missouri (694), then Indiana (317) and Ohio (267).

How far back does the Bales family tree go?

The earliest Bales birth in our database is 1869: Albert Bales, Indiana. The old county histories name James A. Bales, born 1831. We have pieced together 101 Bales family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Bales family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Bales family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.