2000
#22,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,098
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Baires
A surname of Spanish origin likely derived from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,642 Americans carry the last name Baires. That puts it at #12,776 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baires 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
2.6K
1 in 129,733
Census rank
#12,776
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,304 bearers of the surname Baires in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12776th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baires, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baires
The surname BAIRES is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, which was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1536. The name Buenos Aires itself is derived from the Spanish phrase "buen aire," meaning "fair winds" or "good air."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BAIRES can be found in the 1598 census of Buenos Aires, where a family with this surname is listed among the city's residents. It is likely that this family played a role in the early settlement and development of the city, perhaps as traders, landowners, or officials in the Spanish colonial administration.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the BAIRES surname began to spread beyond Buenos Aires as the descendants of the original family members migrated to other parts of Argentina and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include Juan BAIRES (1642-1712), a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher in the province of Córdoba, and María BAIRES (1701-1778), a respected educator and philanthropist in the city of Salta.
As the centuries progressed, the BAIRES surname continued to be carried by individuals who made significant contributions to various fields. In the late 19th century, José BAIRES (1856-1923) was a prominent architect who designed several landmark buildings in Buenos Aires, including the iconic Teatro Colón. Another notable figure was Gabriela BAIRES (1879-1962), a pioneering journalist and women's rights activist who founded one of Argentina's first feminist publications.
In the 20th century, the BAIRES surname gained international recognition through the achievements of individuals such as Carlos BAIRES (1915-1998), a renowned Argentine painter whose works were exhibited in galleries around the world, and Emilio BAIRES (1928-2005), a celebrated author and poet who won numerous literary awards for his contributions to Latin American literature.
Throughout its history, the BAIRES surname has maintained a strong connection to its origins in Buenos Aires, serving as a reminder of the city's rich cultural heritage and the enduring legacy of the Spanish settlers who helped shape its early development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baires
Among Census respondents with the surname Baires, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Baires 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 Baires surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.8% · 2,208
- White3.2% · 74
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baires
Baires 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
#16,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,743
+645 bearers (+58.7%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 5,530 places
2020
#12,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,304
+561 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 3,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,011 | 1,098 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,481 | 1,743 | 0.59 | +645 bearers (+58.7%) | Up 5,530 places |
| 2020 | #12,776 | 2,304 | 0.77 | +561 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 3,705 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 Baires 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 | #16,481 | #12,776 | 22.5% |
| Count | 1,743 | 2,304 | 32.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.77 | 30.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baires bearers went from 1,743 to 2,304 (+32.2% change). The surname moved up 3,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,481 to #12,776.
FAQ
Baires surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baires?
Name Census estimates that about 2,642 living Americans carry the surname Baires. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,733 residents.
How common is Baires?
Baires ranks #12,776 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,304 people with the surname Baires. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,642), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Baires.
Has Baires become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baires went from 1,743 recorded bearers to 2,304. That is an increase of 561 (+32.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,481 to #12,776.
What does the Census say about the background of Baires?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baires, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Baires in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (2,208 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baires appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.8%), White (3.2%), Black (0.6%). 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 Baires (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 Baires mean?
A surname of Spanish origin likely derived from Buenos Aires, Argentina. 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 Baires (0.77 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 have the surname Baires?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.