2000
#38
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 413,351
First available Census row
Per 100,000 153.23
Common Last name
Baker
An occupational surname referring to a person who bakes bread or works in a bakery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 460,007 Americans carry the last name Baker. That puts it at #45 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 134.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 745 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baker 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 Baker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
460K
1 in 745
Census rank
#45
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
134.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
401K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 401,148 bearers of the surname Baker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 134.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baker
The surname Baker is an occupational name that originated in England in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "bakere," meaning a person who baked or prepared bread and other baked goods. The name's roots can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was found in various forms such as "le Bakere" and "le Bakestre."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baker surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which mention a person named Hugh le Baker. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also list a Richard le Bakere, indicating the surname's widespread use during this time.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and manors in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any specific references to the Baker surname. However, it does mention the occupation of bakers in various towns and villages, suggesting that the profession was well-established by the late 11th century.
The Baker surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Thomas Baker (1656-1740), an English antiquary and scholar who wrote extensively on the history of Cambridge University and its colleges. Another prominent figure was George Baker (1540-1612), an English lawyer and historian who served as the Recorder of London.
In the realm of literature, the Baker surname has been borne by authors such as Samuel Baker (1836-1893), an English explorer and writer best known for his travels in Africa, and James Addison Baker (1914-1995), an American novelist and playwright.
Other notable individuals with the Baker surname include Joseph Baker (1767-1838), a British engineer and inventor credited with developing the first successful submarine, and Sir Richard Baker (1568-1645), an English chronicler and historian who authored "A Chronicle of the Kings of England."
While the Baker surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and the dispersion of English settlers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baker
Among Census respondents with the surname Baker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Baker 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 Baker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 308,292
- Black or African American14.0% · 56,320
- Two or more races4.2% · 16,943
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 13,375
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 3,366
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2,852
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baker
Baker 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
#44
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 419,586
+6,235 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 142.24
Rank movement Down 6 places
2020
#45
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 401,148
-18,438 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 134.21
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38 | 413,351 | 153.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44 | 419,586 | 142.24 | +6,235 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6 places |
| 2020 | #45 | 401,148 | 134.21 | -18,438 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 1 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 Baker 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 | #44 | #45 | -2.3% |
| Count | 419,586 | 401,148 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 142.24 | 134.21 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baker bearers went from 419,586 to 401,148 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #44 to #45.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Baker
FAQ
Baker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baker?
Name Census estimates that about 460,007 living Americans carry the surname Baker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 745 residents.
How common is Baker?
Baker ranks #45 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 134.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 134 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 401,148 people with the surname Baker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (460,007), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 134.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 134.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 134 of them to have the surname Baker.
Has Baker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baker went from 419,586 recorded bearers to 401,148. That is a decrease of 18,438 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #44 to #45.
What does the Census say about the background of Baker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baker, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Baker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (308,292 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Black (14.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Baker (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 Baker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who bakes bread or works in a bakery. 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 Baker (134.21 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 are called Baker?
You can see how many people have the last name Baker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.