2000
#17,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,516
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Baba
A Muslim honorific title given to respected religious leaders or holy men.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,241 Americans carry the last name Baba. That puts it at #14,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baba 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 Baba with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 152,947
Census rank
#14,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,954 bearers of the surname Baba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baba, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.8%) and Black (13.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baba
The surname BABA is believed to have originated from Romania, where it is considered to be an occupational name derived from the Romanian word "babă," meaning "old woman" or "midwife." This name likely emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 14th or 15th century.
In its earliest usage, the name BABA may have referred to individuals who worked as midwives or nurses, or perhaps to those who were associated with caring for the elderly. Over time, it transitioned into a hereditary surname passed down through generations.
Among the earliest recorded instances of the BABA surname is its appearance in a 16th-century document from the Principality of Wallachia, which was a historical Romanian state located in present-day southern Romania. This document mentions a certain "Ioan BABA," though little is known about this individual's specific role or background.
Another notable early bearer of the BABA surname was Mihai BABA, a Romanian nobleman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a high-ranking official in the court of Mihai Viteazul, the Prince of Wallachia, and played a significant role in the political affairs of the region during that turbulent period.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Ienăchiță BABA made a name for himself as a successful merchant and philanthropist in the city of Bucharest. He was known for his charitable contributions, particularly in supporting the construction and maintenance of churches and monasteries.
Moving into the 19th century, the BABA surname gained further recognition with the birth of Gheorghe BABA in 1828. He was a renowned Romanian poet and writer, celebrated for his contributions to the development of modern Romanian literature. His works often explored themes of nationalism and the rural life of his homeland.
Another notable bearer of the BABA surname was Nicolae BABA, a Romanian military officer and politician who lived from 1843 to 1919. He played a significant role in the Romanian War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire and later served as a member of the Romanian Parliament.
While the BABA surname originated in Romania and has deep roots in that region, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its earliest and most significant historical associations remain firmly rooted in Romanian history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baba
Among Census respondents with the surname Baba, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.8%) and Black (13.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Baba 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 Baba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.0% · 918
- Asian and Pacific Islander31.8% · 621
- Black or African American13.2% · 257
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 80
- Two or more races3.8% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baba
Baba 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
#16,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,727
+211 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 613 places
2020
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,954
+227 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 1,973 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,214 | 1,516 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,601 | 1,727 | 0.59 | +211 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 613 places |
| 2020 | #14,628 | 1,954 | 0.65 | +227 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 1,973 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 Baba 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 | #16,601 | #14,628 | 11.9% |
| Count | 1,727 | 1,954 | 13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.65 | 10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baba bearers went from 1,727 to 1,954 (+13.1% change). The surname moved up 1,973 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,601 to #14,628.
FAQ
Baba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baba?
Name Census estimates that about 2,241 living Americans carry the surname Baba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,947 residents.
How common is Baba?
Baba ranks #14,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,954 people with the surname Baba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Baba.
Has Baba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baba went from 1,727 recorded bearers to 1,954. That is an increase of 227 (+13.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,601 to #14,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Baba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baba, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.8%) and Black (13.2%). 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 Baba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.0% (918 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (31.8%), Black (13.2%). 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 Baba (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 Baba mean?
A Muslim honorific title given to respected religious leaders or holy men. 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 Baba (0.65 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 have the surname Baba?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.