2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bacall
A surname derived from the Spanish "bacalao" meaning cod or codfish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 202 Americans carry the last name Bacall. That puts it at #107,521 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,696,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacall 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.
Bearers in the US
202
1 in 1,696,804
Census rank
#107,521
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
176
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 176 bearers of the surname Bacall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 107521st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacall, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacall
The surname Bacall is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Basque word "bakaillu," which translates to "stick" or "staff." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who used a walking stick or a staff as part of their occupation or lifestyle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bacall can be found in the archives of the city of Bilbao, Spain, where a merchant named Juan Bacall was documented in the late 16th century. Additionally, there are records of a soldier named Pedro Bacall who fought in the Spanish Armada against the English in 1588.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Bacall spread across various regions of Spain, with families bearing this name settling in areas such as Catalonia, Andalusia, and the Basque Country. Some variations in the spelling of the name, such as Bacal and Bacalle, can also be found in historical records from this period.
One notable individual with the surname Bacall was Miguel Bacall, a renowned painter from Seville who lived in the late 17th century. His works, which depicted religious scenes and portraits, are still celebrated today for their intricate details and vibrant colors.
In the 19th century, the name Bacall gained prominence with the birth of Rafael Bacall (1832-1912), a prominent Spanish philosopher and educator. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during his lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars today.
Another famous bearer of the Bacall name was María Bacall (1901-1978), a Spanish actress who gained international recognition for her performances in several Spanish-language films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She was known for her captivating screen presence and her ability to convey complex emotional depth in her roles.
As the 20th century progressed, the surname Bacall became more widely recognized globally, in part due to the fame of the American actress Lauren Bacall (1924-2014). Although her family name was originally Perske, she adopted the stage name Bacall, which was derived from her mother's maiden name. Lauren Bacall's iconic roles in films such as "To Have and Have Not" and "The Big Sleep" cemented her status as a Hollywood legend.
While the surname Bacall has its roots in Spain, it has since been embraced and carried by individuals from various cultural backgrounds around the world, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its history and legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacall
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacall, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacall 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 Bacall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 8
- Two or more races2.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacall
Bacall 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+21 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,289 places
2020
#107,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+42 bearers (+31.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 19,973 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +21 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 9,289 places |
| 2020 | #107,521 | 176 | 0.06 | +42 bearers (+31.3%) | Up 19,973 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 Bacall 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 | #127,494 | #107,521 | 15.7% |
| Count | 134 | 176 | 31.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 17.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacall bearers went from 134 to 176 (+31.3% change). The surname moved up 19,973 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #107,521.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bacall
FAQ
Bacall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacall?
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the surname Bacall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,696,804 residents.
How common is Bacall?
Bacall ranks #107,521 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 176 people with the surname Bacall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bacall.
Has Bacall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacall went from 134 recorded bearers to 176. That is an increase of 42 (+31.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #127,494 to #107,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacall, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bacall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (158 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bacall (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 Bacall mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish "bacalao" meaning cod or codfish. 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 Bacall (0.06 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 last name Bacall?
Want to know how many people are called Bacall? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.