2000
#23,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Bacote
A surname derived from the French word "bacotte," meaning a small boat or canoe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,045 Americans carry the last name Bacote. That puts it at #27,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 327,995 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacote 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
1.0K
1 in 327,995
Census rank
#27,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
911
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 911 bearers of the surname Bacote in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacote, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacote
The surname BACOTE is believed to have originated in the West African region, specifically in areas such as Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea. It is derived from the Mandinka word "bakoto," which means "leader" or "chief." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities.
During the transatlantic slave trade, many Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas, and some of them carried the name BACOTE. The earliest recorded instances of this surname in the United States date back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, particularly in the southern states where slavery was prevalent.
One notable individual bearing the BACOTE surname was James Bacote (1905-1994), an African American educator and civil rights activist. He served as the principal of Samuel Huston College, a historically black college in Austin, Texas, from 1952 to 1971. During his tenure, he played a significant role in desegregating public facilities and advocating for equal rights.
Another prominent figure was Evelyn Bacote (1928-2016), an African American educator and community leader. She founded the Evelyn Bacote Remedial Reading Clinic in Los Angeles, California, which provided literacy support to underprivileged children. Her contributions to education and community empowerment were widely recognized.
In the literary realm, Clarence E. Bacote (1904-1999) was an African American writer and educator. He authored several works, including "The Story of Atlanta University" and "The Negro in South Carolina During the Reconstruction." His writings shed light on the experiences of African Americans during the post-Civil War era.
The BACOTE surname can also be found in Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica and Barbados, where it may have been introduced by African slaves brought to the region during the slave trade. One notable individual from this region was Reginald Bacote (1921-2000), a Jamaican-born jazz pianist and composer who gained recognition for his contributions to the Jamaican music scene.
It's important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of surnames can vary due to various factors, including migration, transliteration, and cultural influences. As a result, variations of the BACOTE surname, such as Bakote or Bacotay, may exist in different regions or historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacote
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacote, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacote 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 Bacote surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.1% · 803
- Two or more races5.4% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 28
- White3.0% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacote
Bacote 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
#23,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,071
+56 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 290 places
2020
#27,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 911
-160 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 4,269 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,372 | 1,015 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,662 | 1,071 | 0.36 | +56 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 290 places |
| 2020 | #27,931 | 911 | 0.30 | -160 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 4,269 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 Bacote 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 | #23,662 | #27,931 | -18.0% |
| Count | 1,071 | 911 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.30 | -15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacote bearers went from 1,071 to 911 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 4,269 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,662 to #27,931.
FAQ
Bacote surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacote?
Name Census estimates that about 1,045 living Americans carry the surname Bacote. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 327,995 residents.
How common is Bacote?
Bacote ranks #27,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 911 people with the surname Bacote. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,045), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Bacote.
Has Bacote become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacote went from 1,071 recorded bearers to 911. That is a decrease of 160 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #23,662 to #27,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacote?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacote, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bacote in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (803 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacote appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.1%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Hispanic (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 Bacote (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 Bacote mean?
A surname derived from the French word "bacotte," meaning a small boat or canoe. 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 Bacote (0.30 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 share the surname Bacote?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.