2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Badge
A name derived from a heraldic device associated with a specific family or clan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Badge. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Badge 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 Badge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Badge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Badge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Badge
The surname BADGE is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "badg," which referred to a badge or emblem worn on clothing to identify a person's occupation or allegiance.
BADGE is thought to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a mention of a Richard Badg from Worcestershire, which is one of the earliest known references to the surname.
During the Middle Ages, the use of surnames was still developing, and many people were known by their occupation or a distinguishing characteristic. The surname BADGE likely referred to someone who made or wore badges, possibly a tradesman or an official of some kind.
One notable early bearer of the surname was John Badge, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1332 mention a Thomas Badge, suggesting the name was present in both neighboring counties during that time period.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family named Badge residing in the village of Badgeworth, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. This place name is believed to be derived from the surname, indicating the family's long-standing presence in the region.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname BADGE was Sir William Badge (c. 1480-1558), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. Another notable individual was John Badge (c. 1550-1612), a clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Cleveland in Yorkshire.
Other early bearers of the surname include Richard Badge (c. 1600-1675), a farmer and landowner in Warwickshire, and Thomas Badge (c. 1620-1690), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
The BADGE surname continues to be found throughout England, particularly in the West Midlands and South West regions, reflecting its historical origins and the migration patterns of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Badge
Among Census respondents with the surname Badge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Badge 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 Badge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 5
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Badge
Badge 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,087 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,734 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 13,087 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 4,734 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 Badge 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 | #146,201 | #150,935 | -3.2% |
| Count | 113 | 108 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Badge bearers went from 113 to 108 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 4,734 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,935.
FAQ
Badge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Badge?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Badge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Badge?
Badge ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Badge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Badge.
Has Badge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Badge went from 113 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Badge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Badge, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Badge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Badge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%), Black (3.7%). 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 Badge (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 Badge mean?
A name derived from a heraldic device associated with a specific family or clan. 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 Badge (0.04 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 common is the surname Badge?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Badge at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.