2000
#26,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Bachus
A surname derived from the Latinized form of the Greek god of wine, Bacchus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 862 Americans carry the last name Bachus. That puts it at #32,724 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 397,627 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bachus 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
862
1 in 397,627
Census rank
#32,724
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
752
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 752 bearers of the surname Bachus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32724th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachus, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bachus
The surname Bachus is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bach," which means "dweller at or near a stream." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived in close proximity to a small river or brook.
The name Bachus is believed to have originated in the county of Nottinghamshire, particularly in the village of Basford, which was once known as "Bachesford" or "Bachesford Bridge." This place name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror, further solidifying the antiquity of the Bachus surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1175, which mention a Radulfus de Bachis. In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Bachis, Bachys, and Baches, reflecting the evolution of spelling over time.
Notable individuals bearing the Bachus surname include William Bachus (1628-1705), an English Puritan clergyman and author known for his work "A View of the Antiquities of the Town of Harwich and Dovercourt." Another prominent figure was John Bachus (1756-1820), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, the Bachus family gained prominence with the birth of James Bachus (1832-1908), a renowned American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in Alabama. His son, John Bachus (1857-1942), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent lawyer and judge in the same state.
Another notable individual was Robert Bachus (1892-1971), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
While the Bachus surname may have originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient villages and settlements of Nottinghamshire, where the name first emerged as a reflection of the geographic surroundings and way of life of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bachus
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachus, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bachus 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 Bachus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.9% · 541
- Black or African American21.5% · 162
- Two or more races3.1% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bachus
Bachus 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
#27,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 869
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,259 places
2020
#32,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 752
-117 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 5,046 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,419 | 869 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,678 | 869 | 0.29 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,259 places |
| 2020 | #32,724 | 752 | 0.25 | -117 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 5,046 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 Bachus 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 | #27,678 | #32,724 | -18.2% |
| Count | 869 | 752 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.25 | -13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bachus bearers went from 869 to 752 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 5,046 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,678 to #32,724.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bachus
FAQ
Bachus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bachus?
Name Census estimates that about 862 living Americans carry the surname Bachus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 397,627 residents.
How common is Bachus?
Bachus ranks #32,724 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 752 people with the surname Bachus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (862), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Bachus.
Has Bachus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bachus went from 869 recorded bearers to 752. That is a decrease of 117 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,678 to #32,724.
What does the Census say about the background of Bachus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bachus, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Bachus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bachus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.9%), Black (21.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Bachus (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 Bachus mean?
A surname derived from the Latinized form of the Greek god of wine, Bacchus. 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 Bachus (0.25 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 Bachus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.