Baynard
A medieval name derived from an Old French term for a bearer of mercenary troops.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Baynard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Baynard today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Baynard births was 1936 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Baynard. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Baynard is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Baynards were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Baynard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1936
5 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1949 SSA rank
#3,732
Tracked since 1936
Popularity
Baynard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Baynard from the 1930s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Baynard by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Baynard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Baynard
The name Baynard has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the Old French words "bain" meaning "bath" and "ard" meaning "hardy" or "brave." This combination suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone associated with the operation or maintenance of public baths, a task that required physical strength and endurance.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Baynard can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. During this era, the name was commonly spelled as "Bainard" or "Baignard" before evolving into its current form.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Baynard was Baynard de Bray, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Baynard de Bray was granted lands in Essex, England, and his descendants continued to use the name.
In the 12th century, the name Baynard appeared in the writings of the medieval historian William of Malmesbury, who mentioned a "Baynard the Fleming" in his chronicles of the reign of King Henry I of England (1100-1135).
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Baynard Sackville, an English courtier and soldier who lived during the 16th century (c. 1535-1610). Sir Baynard Sackville served as a Member of Parliament and was a prominent figure in the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
During the 17th century, Baynard Kendrick (c. 1667-1708) was an English actor and playwright who performed in several notable productions of his time.
In the 18th century, Baynard Rush Hall (1756-1823) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as a judge in Virginia.
While the name Baynard has not been as widely used in more recent times, it maintains a rich historical legacy rooted in its Old French origins and the deeds of notable individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
People
Baynard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Baynard as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Baynard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Baynard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Baynard going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Baynard a common name?
We classify Baynard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Baynard most popular?
The single biggest year for Baynard was 1936, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Baynard is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Baynard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Baynard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Baynard in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Baynard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Baynard in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Baynard can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Baynard?
See how many Americans are named Baynard on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.