2000
#3,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.34
Uncommon Last name
Bader
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a bath house attendant or owner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,228 Americans carry the last name Bader. That puts it at #3,875 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,511 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bader 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 Bader with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,511
Census rank
#3,875
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,919 bearers of the surname Bader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3875th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bader
The surname Bader is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word 'bader', meaning a person who bathes or a bath attendant. This occupation was particularly significant during the Middle Ages when public baths and bathhouses were commonplace.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bader can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions, including Bavaria and Saxony. The name was often associated with individuals who worked in bathhouses or provided bathing services to the local community.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Jacob Bader (1460-1535) gained prominence as a skilled surgeon and physician in Nuremberg, Germany. His contributions to the field of medicine and his association with the Bader surname further solidified its connection with the bathing and healing professions.
During the 16th century, the Bader surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Augsburg Tax Rolls of 1523, where several individuals with the name were listed as residents of the city.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the Bader surname was Johann Bader (1534-1592), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His works, including "Prognosticon Astrologicum" and "Ephemerides Novae," were widely recognized during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the Bader name was found in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Brandenburg, and Baden-Württemberg. During this time, the surname was also associated with individuals who owned or operated bathhouses, further reinforcing its connection to the bathing trade.
One prominent figure from this era was Johann Bader (1616-1688), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Darmstadt. His compositions, which included sacred and secular works, contributed to the cultural and musical landscape of the time.
As the centuries progressed, the Bader surname continued to appear in various German regions, with individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields, including medicine, academia, and the arts. While the name's direct association with the bathing profession may have diminished over time, its historical connection to this occupation remains an integral part of its etymology and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bader
Among Census respondents with the surname Bader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bader 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 Bader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 8,193
- Two or more races2.9% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 242
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 149
- Black or African American0.6% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bader
Bader 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
#3,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,197
+177 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Down 236 places
2020
#3,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,919
-278 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.98
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,618 | 9,020 | 3.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,854 | 9,197 | 3.12 | +177 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 236 places |
| 2020 | #3,875 | 8,919 | 2.98 | -278 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 21 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 Bader 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 | #3,854 | #3,875 | -0.5% |
| Count | 9,197 | 8,919 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.12 | 2.98 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bader bearers went from 9,197 to 8,919 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,854 to #3,875.
FAQ
Bader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bader?
Name Census estimates that about 10,228 living Americans carry the surname Bader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,511 residents.
How common is Bader?
Bader ranks #3,875 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,919 people with the surname Bader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,228), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bader.
Has Bader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bader went from 9,197 recorded bearers to 8,919. That is a decrease of 278 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,854 to #3,875.
What does the Census say about the background of Bader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bader, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Bader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (8,193 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Bader (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 Bader mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to a bath house attendant or owner. 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 Bader (2.98 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 Bader?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.