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

Back, 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 Back surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Back in America

Back is the 4051st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Back surname appeared 8,762 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Back.

We can also compare 2010 data for Back 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 Back

The surname BACK originated in Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It derived from the Low German word "bak," meaning "back" or "ridge," referring to someone who lived near a ridge or hillside. The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century.

In the Netherlands, the name was often spelled "Bak" or "Backer," and it appeared in various records and documents from that period. One notable example is Johannes Backer, a Dutch painter born in 1636 who was known for his portraiture and genre scenes.

In Germany, the name BACK was more commonly used, and it can be found in historical records from various regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Konrad Back, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the 15th century.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Backe, Bäck, and Bäcker. These variations often reflected regional dialect or occupational associations, with "Bäcker" meaning "baker" in German.

One notable individual with the surname BACK was Johann Friedrich Back, a German explorer and naval officer born in 1765. He led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and made significant contributions to the exploration of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Another prominent figure was Sir George Back, a British naval officer and explorer born in 1796. He led two expeditions to the Canadian Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage and was knighted for his achievements in 1835.

In the United States, the surname BACK has been present since the early days of European settlement. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Johann Back, a German immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in the 18th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname BACK include Karl Henry Adolf Back, a German-American botanist and explorer born in 1819, who conducted extensive studies of the flora and fauna of the American West, and George Woodward Bacon Back, an American lawyer and politician born in 1842, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Back

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

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

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

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