2000
#1,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,572
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.11
Uncommon Last name
Baca
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone living near a berry patch, cow pasture, or grazing area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,369 Americans carry the last name Baca. That puts it at #1,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baca surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Baca with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,286
Census rank
#1,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,483 bearers of the surname Baca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baca
The surname Baca has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "baca," which means "cow" or "heifer." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational name for someone who worked with cattle, such as a cowherd or dairy farmer.
The Baca name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in various regions of Spain, including Aragon and Catalonia. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Mallorca," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the Balearic Islands after the Christian conquest.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Baca surname gained prominence in Andalusia, particularly in the city of Seville. In 1499, a certain Juan Baca was listed as a member of the Seville city council, indicating that the family had achieved a certain level of social standing and influence in the region.
The Baca name also has a historical connection to the exploration and conquest of the Americas. One notable figure was Alonso Baca, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in the 16th century. Alonso Baca was born around 1492 and played a role in the exploration of what is now the southwestern United States.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Tomás Baca, a Spanish military officer and governor of New Mexico in the late 17th century. He was born in 1625 and served as the governor of the province from 1691 to 1695, during a period of conflict with indigenous tribes in the region.
In the realm of literature, one notable figure was Gonzalo Baca de Quiroga, a Spanish poet and playwright who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for his works in the Spanish Golden Age, including plays and religious poetry.
As the Baca name spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it also underwent various linguistic variations and spellings, such as Baca, Vaca, and Baccà. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects or the adoption of the name in different cultural contexts.
Throughout history, the Baca surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, politicians, military leaders, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many countries and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baca
Among Census respondents with the surname Baca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Baca bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Baca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.3% · 21,279
- White15.8% · 4,196
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 544
- Two or more races0.9% · 237
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 133
- Black or African American0.4% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baca
Baca appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,082
+3,510 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 9.52
Rank movement Up 67 places
2020
#1,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,483
-1,599 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 8.86
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,316 | 24,572 | 9.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,249 | 28,082 | 9.52 | +3,510 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 67 places |
| 2020 | #1,304 | 26,483 | 8.86 | -1,599 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 55 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Baca surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,249 | #1,304 | -4.4% |
| Count | 28,082 | 26,483 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 9.52 | 8.86 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baca bearers went from 28,082 to 26,483 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,249 to #1,304.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Baca
FAQ
Baca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baca?
Name Census estimates that about 30,369 living Americans carry the surname Baca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,286 residents.
How common is Baca?
Baca ranks #1,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,483 people with the surname Baca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Baca.
Has Baca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baca went from 28,082 recorded bearers to 26,483. That is a decrease of 1,599 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,249 to #1,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Baca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Baca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (21,279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.3%), White (15.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Baca (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Baca mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone living near a berry patch, cow pasture, or grazing area. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Baca (8.86 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Baca?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Baca, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.