2000
#3,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,027
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.09
Uncommon Last name
Bair
An English and Scottish surname derived from a place name or a nickname meaning "bare" or "naked."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,873 Americans carry the last name Bair. That puts it at #3,130 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bair 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.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,626
Census rank
#3,130
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,226 bearers of the surname Bair in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3130th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bair
The surname BAIR is believed to have originated in Germany and is thought to be derived from the German word "bär," meaning "bear." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a bear-like appearance or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAIR can be found in the German town of Baiersbronn, located in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. The town's name, which dates back to the 12th century, is thought to be derived from the same root as the surname BAIR.
In the 16th century, the name BAIR appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a prominent family of that name resided. Johann Bair (1522-1597), a renowned goldsmith and engraver, was a member of this family and is considered one of the most skilled practitioners of his craft during the Renaissance period.
Another notable individual with the surname BAIR was Johann Philipp Bair (1655-1719), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His works on ethics and natural law were influential in the development of modern moral philosophy.
In the 19th century, the BAIR surname made its way to the United States, primarily through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of John Bair (1812-1898), a farmer and landowner in Pennsylvania who played a role in the Underground Railroad, helping to shelter and transport escaped enslaved people.
Another prominent American with the surname BAIR was Loy Bair (1855-1924), a businessman and banker from Ohio. He co-founded the Bair Banking Company, which later became part of the Chase Manhattan Bank.
It's worth noting that the surname BAIR has also been found in other regions, such as Switzerland and Austria, where it may have originated from different roots or undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Bayr or Bayer.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bair
Among Census respondents with the surname Bair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bair 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 Bair surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 10,148
- Two or more races3.3% · 367
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 319
- Black or African American2.0% · 226
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bair
Bair 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
#3,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,740
+713 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 3.98
Rank movement Down 39 places
2020
#3,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,226
-514 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,013 | 11,027 | 4.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,052 | 11,740 | 3.98 | +713 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 39 places |
| 2020 | #3,130 | 11,226 | 3.76 | -514 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 78 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 Bair 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 | #3,052 | #3,130 | -2.6% |
| Count | 11,740 | 11,226 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.98 | 3.76 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bair bearers went from 11,740 to 11,226 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,052 to #3,130.
FAQ
Bair surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bair?
Name Census estimates that about 12,873 living Americans carry the surname Bair. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,626 residents.
How common is Bair?
Bair ranks #3,130 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,226 people with the surname Bair. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,873), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bair.
Has Bair become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bair went from 11,740 recorded bearers to 11,226. That is a decrease of 514 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,052 to #3,130.
What does the Census say about the background of Bair?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bair in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (10,148 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bair appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Bair (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 Bair mean?
An English and Scottish surname derived from a place name or a nickname meaning "bare" or "naked." 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 Bair (3.76 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 many people share the surname Bair?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.