2000
#47,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 418
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Adebayo
One who came into joyful circumstances or who came with joy, happiness, and good luck.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,104 Americans carry the last name Adebayo. That puts it at #15,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,906 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adebayo 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 Adebayo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,906
Census rank
#15,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,835 bearers of the surname Adebayo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebayo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adebayo
The surname Adebayo originated in Yoruba-speaking regions of West Africa, particularly in present-day Nigeria. It dates back several centuries and is a combination of the Yoruba words "Ade" meaning "crown" or "royalty," and "bayo" meaning "rejoice" or "joy." Together, the name Adebayo signifies "the crown rejoices" or "the crown brings joy."
During the pre-colonial era, the Yoruba people lived in city-states governed by traditional rulers known as Obas or kings. It is likely that the name Adebayo was initially bestowed upon individuals with close ties to the royal families or those born during celebratory occasions related to the monarchy.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Adebayo can be found in historical accounts from the 17th century, when the Oyo Empire was at its peak. The Oyo Empire was a prominent Yoruba kingdom that spanned parts of present-day Nigeria and Benin.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Adebayo was Adebayo Latoye, a renowned Yoruba military commander who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Oyo Empire under the reign of Oba Abiodun.
Another historical figure was Adebayo Akinsanya, a prominent Yoruba chief and statesman who lived in the early 19th century. He served as the Balogun (war chief) of Ibadan, a major Yoruba city, and was instrumental in the city's defense during a series of conflicts with neighboring kingdoms.
In the late 19th century, Adebayo Haastrup was a respected Yoruba educator and missionary who contributed to the spread of Christianity and Western education in the region. He was born in 1825 and played a significant role in establishing schools and churches in Yorubaland.
During the 20th century, Adebayo Adedeji, born in 1928, was a prominent Nigerian economist and diplomat. He served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) from 1975 to 1991 and was a leading advocate for economic development and regional integration in Africa.
Adebayo Faleti, born in 1923 and passed away in 2023, was a renowned Yoruba author, playwright, and translator. He is celebrated for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language and culture through his literary works, which include novels, plays, and poetry.
The surname Adebayo continues to be widely used among the Yoruba people and has also gained recognition globally due to the increasing diaspora of individuals with Yoruba ancestry. While the name's origins are rooted in the Yoruba tradition, it has transcended its regional boundaries and is now found in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adebayo
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebayo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Adebayo 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 Adebayo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.2% · 1,747
- Two or more races1.9% · 34
- White1.8% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adebayo
Adebayo 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
#27,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 891
+473 bearers (+113.2%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 20,490 places
2020
#15,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,835
+944 bearers (+105.9%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 11,776 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,654 | 418 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,164 | 891 | 0.30 | +473 bearers (+113.2%) | Up 20,490 places |
| 2020 | #15,388 | 1,835 | 0.61 | +944 bearers (+105.9%) | Up 11,776 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 Adebayo 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 | #27,164 | #15,388 | 43.4% |
| Count | 891 | 1,835 | 105.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.61 | 104.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adebayo bearers went from 891 to 1,835 (+105.9% change). The surname moved up 11,776 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,164 to #15,388.
FAQ
Adebayo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adebayo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,104 living Americans carry the surname Adebayo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,906 residents.
How common is Adebayo?
Adebayo ranks #15,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,835 people with the surname Adebayo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,104), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Adebayo.
Has Adebayo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adebayo went from 891 recorded bearers to 1,835. That is an increase of 944 (+105.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,164 to #15,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Adebayo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adebayo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adebayo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (1,747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adebayo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (1.8%). 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 Adebayo (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 Adebayo mean?
One who came into joyful circumstances or who came with joy, happiness, and good luck. 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 Adebayo (0.61 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 Adebayo?
If you just want to know how many people are called Adebayo, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.