Find out how popular the last name Baby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Baby.

Baby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Baby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baby in America

Baby is the 36426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baby surname appeared 614 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Baby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Baby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Baby

The surname "Baby" is an English occupational name derived from the Old French word "babi", which means "to babble or murmur like a baby". It is believed to have originated in England during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, dated 1327, where a "Johannes le Babye" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and possibly earlier.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Surrey in 1558, where a "Thomas Baby" is listed. Another notable mention is in the Hearth Tax Returns for Middlesex in 1664, which includes a "John Baby".

During the 17th century, the surname became more widespread across England, with records showing variations in spelling such as "Babie", "Babey", and "Babbie". One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling "Baby" can be found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's, Lambeth, London, where a "Mary Baby" was baptized in 1636.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Baby". One of the earliest was Sir John Baby, a British Army officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became the first Lieutenant Governor of Windsor, Ontario, Canada (1793-1796).

Another prominent figure was Francis Baby, a French-Canadian fur trader and explorer born in Detroit, Michigan in 1769. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes and settlements in the Great Lakes region during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In the field of literature, the name is associated with British author and playwright Edith Baby (1872-1953), known for her novels and short stories set in the English countryside.

The Baby surname also has connections to the world of sports. James Baby (1857-1928) was a Scottish professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1892, while Robert Baby (1891-1957) was an English cricketer who played for Surrey and England in the early 20th century.

Furthermore, the name has been linked to various place names, such as Baby Castle in Lincolnshire, England, and Baby Hill in Oxfordshire, suggesting possible connections to ancestral landholdings or residences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Baby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Baby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Baby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Baby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Baby, please contact us.

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