2000
#2,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.50
Uncommon Last name
Baugh
From Old English meaning "a ring-shaped area of firm ground in a marsh or bog."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,776 Americans carry the last name Baugh. That puts it at #2,929 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,881 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baugh 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 Baugh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,881
Census rank
#2,929
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,013 bearers of the surname Baugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2929th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baugh
The surname Baugh originates from England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "beag," meaning "ring" or "bracelet," suggesting a possible occupational connection to someone who made or sold rings or bracelets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Baga" in Worcestershire. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 13th century, the name Baugh was prominent in the county of Staffordshire, particularly in the village of Bagots Bromley, which may have contributed to the surname's development. Historical records from this period include mentions of individuals such as William de Bagot (born c. 1230) and Sir John Bagot (c. 1275 - 1343), who held land and titles in the area.
As the name spread across England, it took on various spellings, including Baugh, Bough, Baughe, and Bagh. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistencies of scribal records at the time.
One notable figure bearing the surname Baugh was Robert Baugh (c. 1620 - 1667), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the Commonwealth period. He was a supporter of Oliver Cromwell and played a role in the events leading up to the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Thomas Baugh (1725 - 1803) was a prominent British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings, including the Shire Hall in Monmouth and the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Another individual of note was William Baugh (1790 - 1845), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a rear admiral.
In the literary world, Edward Baugh (born 1936) is a renowned Jamaican poet, literary critic, and scholar who has made significant contributions to Caribbean literature and cultural studies.
Finally, Robert Baugh (1928 - 2008) was an influential American linguist and scholar who specialized in the history of the English language. His seminal work, "A History of the English Language," published in 1951, is considered a standard reference in the field.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Baugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Baugh 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 Baugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.3% · 8,564
- Black or African American19.7% · 2,363
- Two or more races4.5% · 543
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 372
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baugh
Baugh 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
#2,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,543
+391 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 4.25
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#2,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,013
-530 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Down 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,721 | 12,152 | 4.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,873 | 12,543 | 4.25 | +391 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #2,929 | 12,013 | 4.02 | -530 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 56 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 Baugh 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 | #2,873 | #2,929 | -1.9% |
| Count | 12,543 | 12,013 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.25 | 4.02 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baugh bearers went from 12,543 to 12,013 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,873 to #2,929.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Baugh
FAQ
Baugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baugh?
Name Census estimates that about 13,776 living Americans carry the surname Baugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,881 residents.
How common is Baugh?
Baugh ranks #2,929 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 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 12,013 people with the surname Baugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,776), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 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 Baugh.
Has Baugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baugh went from 12,543 recorded bearers to 12,013. That is a decrease of 530 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,873 to #2,929.
What does the Census say about the background of Baugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Baugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (8,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.3%), Black (19.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Baugh (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 Baugh mean?
From Old English meaning "a ring-shaped area of firm ground in a marsh or bog." 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 Baugh (4.02 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 Baugh?
Want to know how common the surname Baugh is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.