2000
#14,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,915
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Baden
A locational surname referring to a person from Baden, Germany, meaning "to bathe" or "bathing place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,124 Americans carry the last name Baden. That puts it at #15,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baden 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Baden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,372
Census rank
#15,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,852 bearers of the surname Baden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baden
The surname Baden is of German origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the placename Baden, which refers to a town located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The name itself is believed to come from the Old High German word "badan," meaning "to bathe" or "bath," likely referring to the thermal springs found in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Baden can be found in the Codex Hirsaugiensis, a manuscript from the 11th century that mentions a person named "Heinricus de Baden." The name also appears in the Annales Brunwilarenses, a 12th-century chronicle that references a "Conradus de Baden" in 1172.
In the Middle Ages, the Baden family was a prominent noble house in the region, with members holding various titles and positions of power. One notable figure was Margrave Hermann V of Baden (1127-1190), who was a prominent military leader and crusader. Another was Margrave Rudolf I of Baden (1230-1288), who played a significant role in the expansion of the family's territories and influence.
During the Renaissance period, the name Baden gained further prominence with individuals such as Margrave Christoph I of Baden (1453-1527), a renowned patron of the arts and a supporter of the Reformation. Another notable figure was Margrave Eduard Fortunatus of Baden (1565-1600), who was a prominent military commander and served as the governor of the Spanish Netherlands.
In more recent history, the name Baden has been associated with several notable figures, including Max von Baden (1867-1929), a German prince and the last Chancellor of the German Empire during World War I. Another prominent individual was Otto von Baden (1859-1917), a German nobleman and politician who served as the Minister President of Baden.
Other notable individuals with the surname Baden include the German painter Hans Baden (1470-1540), the German composer and organist Jacob Paix Baden (1550-1600), and the German philosopher and theologian Jakob Baden (1470-1541).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baden
Among Census respondents with the surname Baden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Baden 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 Baden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 1,630
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 81
- Black or African American3.3% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 37
- Two or more races2.0% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baden
Baden 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
#13,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,166
+251 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 409 places
2020
#15,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,852
-314 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 1,324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,347 | 1,915 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,938 | 2,166 | 0.73 | +251 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 409 places |
| 2020 | #15,262 | 1,852 | 0.62 | -314 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 1,324 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 Baden 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 | #13,938 | #15,262 | -9.5% |
| Count | 2,166 | 1,852 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.62 | -15.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baden bearers went from 2,166 to 1,852 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 1,324 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,938 to #15,262.
FAQ
Baden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baden?
Name Census estimates that about 2,124 living Americans carry the surname Baden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,372 residents.
How common is Baden?
Baden ranks #15,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,852 people with the surname Baden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Baden.
Has Baden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baden went from 2,166 recorded bearers to 1,852. That is a decrease of 314 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,938 to #15,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Baden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Baden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (1,630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (3.3%). 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 Baden (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 Baden mean?
A locational surname referring to a person from Baden, Germany, meaning "to bathe" or "bathing place." 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 Baden (0.62 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 Baden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.