2000
#484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,979
First available Census row
Per 100,000 22.98
Uncommon Last name
Bauer
An occupational surname referring to a farmer or someone who worked as a builder or construction worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 71,862 Americans carry the last name Bauer. That puts it at #527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,770 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bauer 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 Bauer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
72K
1 in 4,770
Census rank
#527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
21.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
63K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 62,667 bearers of the surname Bauer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bauer
The surname "BAUER" is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "búr" or "gebúr," meaning "farmer" or "peasant." It originated in the 8th or 9th century when surnames began to emerge in German-speaking regions. The name was initially used as an occupational surname for those involved in agricultural work or farming.
In the Middle Ages, the name Bauer appeared in various records and documents across German territories. One of the earliest recorded mentions can be found in the "Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sanct Pauli in Carinthia," a medieval cartulary from the St. Paul's Abbey in Carinthia, Austria, dating back to the 11th century.
As families migrated and settled in different regions, variations of the name emerged, such as Baur, Bauer, Paur, and Paur. Place names were often incorporated into the surname, leading to forms like Bauermann, Bauersfeld, and Bauernfeind.
One notable figure bearing the Bauer surname was Kaspar Bauer (c. 1615-1672), a German painter and engraver from Bavaria. He was known for his landscapes and architectural depictions. Another prominent individual was Johann Bauer (1681-1726), a German astronomer and mathematician from Nuremberg, who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, the name Bauer gained wider recognition with the work of Ferdinand Bauer (1760-1826), an Austrian botanical illustrator renowned for his exquisite drawings of plants during expeditions to Australia and the South Pacific. His brother, Franz Andreas Bauer (1758-1840), was also a notable botanical illustrator.
In the literary world, Ida Bauer (1882-1945) was a German writer and novelist known for her works exploring themes of love, family, and societal issues. Her novel "Die Bräute des Herrn" (The Brides of the Lord) was a notable success.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Bauer throughout history, reflecting its long-standing presence and varied contributions across different fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bauer
Among Census respondents with the surname Bauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bauer 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 Bauer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 57,895
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 2,110
- Two or more races2.8% · 1,730
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 456
- Black or African American0.4% · 257
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 219
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bauer
Bauer 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
#517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 65,004
+3,025 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 22.04
Rank movement Down 33 places
2020
#527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 62,667
-2,337 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 20.97
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #484 | 61,979 | 22.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #517 | 65,004 | 22.04 | +3,025 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 33 places |
| 2020 | #527 | 62,667 | 20.97 | -2,337 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 10 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 Bauer 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 | #517 | #527 | -1.9% |
| Count | 65,004 | 62,667 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 22.04 | 20.97 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bauer bearers went from 65,004 to 62,667 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #517 to #527.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bauer
FAQ
Bauer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bauer?
Name Census estimates that about 71,862 living Americans carry the surname Bauer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,770 residents.
How common is Bauer?
Bauer ranks #527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 62,667 people with the surname Bauer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (71,862), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Bauer.
Has Bauer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bauer went from 65,004 recorded bearers to 62,667. That is a decrease of 2,337 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #517 to #527.
What does the Census say about the background of Bauer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bauer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Bauer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (57,895 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bauer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (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 Bauer (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 Bauer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a farmer or someone who worked as a builder or construction worker. 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 Bauer (20.97 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 Bauer?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bauer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.