2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Bachli
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word for baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Bachli. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bachli 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Bachli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bachli
The surname BACHLI is believed to have originated in Switzerland, where it first appeared in historical records during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Swiss German word "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook," and the diminutive suffix "-li," indicating a small or little stream. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname lived near a small brook or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BACHLI surname can be found in the Swiss village of Glarnerland, where it is documented in parish registers dating back to the late 1500s. The name was particularly prevalent in the cantons of Glarus and St. Gallen, where it is believed to have originated.
In the 17th century, several BACHLI families are documented in the town of Glarus, including Hans BACHLI, who was born in 1624, and his son, Jakob BACHLI, born in 1663. During this period, the surname was also found in neighboring regions, such as the canton of Appenzell, where it was sometimes spelled BÄCHLI or BAECHLI.
While the BACHLI surname is predominantly Swiss, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration. In the 18th century, a family by the name of BACHLI settled in the German state of Bavaria, where they established themselves in the town of Fürstenfeldbruck.
One notable individual with the BACHLI surname was Johann Jakob BACHLI, a Swiss painter and engraver who lived in the 18th century. Born in Glarus in 1717, BACHLI is renowned for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depict landscapes and scenes of Swiss life.
Another prominent figure was Hans Rudolf BACHLI, a Swiss politician and military officer who served as the Landammann (governor) of Glarus from 1803 to 1805. Born in 1768, BACHLI played a significant role in the political and military affairs of Switzerland during the Napoleonic era.
In the 19th century, the BACHLI surname gained recognition in the field of education with Johann Jakob BACHLI, a Swiss teacher and writer who lived from 1824 to 1897. He authored several textbooks and educational works, contributing significantly to the development of the Swiss education system.
The surname BACHLI has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and sciences. Alfred BACHLI, a Swiss painter and sculptor born in 1892, was renowned for his abstract works and served as a professor at the School of Applied Arts in Zurich.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bachli
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bachli 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 Bachli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bachli
Bachli appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,677 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 Bachli 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 | #158,432 | #154,755 | 2.3% |
| Count | 102 | 102 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bachli bearers went from 102 to 102 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,755.
FAQ
Bachli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bachli?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Bachli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Bachli?
Bachli ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Bachli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bachli.
Has Bachli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bachli went from 102 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Bachli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Bachli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bachli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Bachli (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 Bachli mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word for baker. 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 Bachli (0.03 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 Bachli?
If you just want to know how many people are called Bachli, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.