Ballinger, spelled /bæl.ɪŋ.ər/, is a surname originating from the Old English words "beal" meaning 'place where beans grow' and "ing" meaning 'people of'. The spelling of the word follows the English language's phonetic rules. The first syllable "bal" is pronounced with the short "a" sound as in "bat". The second syllable "ling" is pronounced with a short "i" as in "sit" and the suffix "-er" is pronounced as "er" in "her".