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

Bach, 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 Bach surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bach in America

Bach is the 2986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bach surname appeared 11,999 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bach.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bach 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 Bach

The surname "BACH" is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German word "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

The earliest recorded use of the surname "BACH" dates back to the 13th century in various regions of modern-day Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. It was often spelled in various ways, such as "Bache," "Bäche," or "Bech," reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One of the earliest known references to the name "BACH" can be found in a document from the city of Arnstadt, Thuringia, dated 1289, where a person named "Heinricus Bache" is mentioned.

The name "BACH" gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the renowned German composer and musician, is perhaps the most famous bearer of this name. His works, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Well-Tempered Clavier, and the Mass in B Minor, have had a profound influence on Western classical music.

Another prominent figure with the surname "BACH" was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), the second surviving son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was a highly influential composer and musician in his own right, known for his contributions to the development of the Classical style.

In the 18th century, Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, gained recognition as a composer and music teacher. He spent much of his career in England, where he became known as the "English Bach."

The name "BACH" also has connections to several place names in Germany. For example, the town of Bachfeld in Bavaria is derived from the word "bach," meaning "stream." Similarly, the town of Bachrain in Baden-Württemberg is thought to have originated from the same root word.

Other notable individuals with the surname "BACH" include Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703), a cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach and a respected composer and organist in his own right, and Johannes Bach (c. 1604-1673), the grandfather of Johann Sebastian Bach and a renowned musician and composer in the Baroque era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bach

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

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 Bach 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 Bach 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 Bach was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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