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

Backes, 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 Backes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Backes in America

Backes is the 12745th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Backes surname appeared 2,421 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Backes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Backes 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 Backes

The surname Backes is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "bach," which means "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a small body of water or a location with a similar name.

The earliest known record of the Backes surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. During this period, the name appeared in various medieval documents and records, often spelled as "Backes" or "Baches." One notable mention is in the town of Bacherach, which means "brook village," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its watery origins.

In the 14th century, the Backes name can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, Germany. This suggests that the family had spread to other parts of the region by this time. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Johannes Backes, who was a merchant in Cologne in the late 1300s.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Backus," "Bax," and "Bache." These variations can be traced back to different regional dialects and linguistic influences. For instance, the "Backus" spelling is more common in the Netherlands and parts of northern Germany.

One notable figure with the Backes surname was Johann Backes, a German Catholic priest and writer who lived from 1567 to 1638. He authored several religious texts and was renowned for his scholarly work. Another individual of historical significance was Johann Jakob Backes, born in 1780, who was a prominent German lawyer and politician during the early 19th century.

In the arts, the name Backes is associated with the German painter and printmaker Johann Backes, who lived from 1794 to 1873. His works are celebrated for their intricate details and realistic depictions of landscapes and everyday life.

Moving forward in time, a notable figure was Otto Backes, a German military officer who served in World War I. He was born in 1871 and played a significant role in the Battle of Verdun, one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the war.

While the Backes surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval German regions, where it was closely tied to geographical features and locations near streams or brooks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Backes

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!