2000
#10,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Badgett
An English locational surname derived from the Old English words "bagga" and "geat," meaning "gate of a badger's den."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,131 Americans carry the last name Badgett. That puts it at #11,098 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Badgett 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
3.1K
1 in 109,471
Census rank
#11,098
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,730 bearers of the surname Badgett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11098th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Badgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Badgett
The surname Badgett is of English origin, originating in the county of Somerset during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "badge," which referred to a distinctive emblem or device worn as a badge of allegiance or office. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Badget, found in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John Badgett, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. The name was also found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1334, where it was recorded as Badgette. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by the 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Badgett was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. Notable individuals from this period include William Badgett, who was born in Somerset in 1587, and Thomas Badgett, a merchant from Bristol who was recorded in the city's records in 1642.
In the 18th century, the name Badgett began to appear in various parish records across England. One notable example is Richard Badgett, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1732 and served as a member of the local militia during the American Revolutionary War.
As the name spread throughout England, variations in spelling emerged, including Badgett, Badget, and Badgitt. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the individual preferences of record keepers.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Badgett in the 19th century was Sir John Badgett (1815-1892), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Somerset. He made significant contributions to the development of local infrastructure and education in the region.
Another notable figure was Emily Badgett (1840-1922), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first girls' schools in London and played a key role in the campaign for women's suffrage.
As the name continued to spread, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through migration and immigration. However, the earliest documented instances of the surname remain rooted in the historical records of medieval and early modern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Badgett
Among Census respondents with the surname Badgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Badgett 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 Badgett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 1,997
- Black or African American18.2% · 498
- Two or more races4.3% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Badgett
Badgett 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
#10,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,932
+60 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 584 places
2020
#11,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,730
-202 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,282 | 2,872 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,866 | 2,932 | 0.99 | +60 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 584 places |
| 2020 | #11,098 | 2,730 | 0.91 | -202 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 232 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 Badgett 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 | #10,866 | #11,098 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,932 | 2,730 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.91 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Badgett bearers went from 2,932 to 2,730 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,866 to #11,098.
FAQ
Badgett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Badgett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,131 living Americans carry the surname Badgett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,471 residents.
How common is Badgett?
Badgett ranks #11,098 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,730 people with the surname Badgett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Badgett.
Has Badgett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Badgett went from 2,932 recorded bearers to 2,730. That is a decrease of 202 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,866 to #11,098.
What does the Census say about the background of Badgett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Badgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Badgett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (1,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Badgett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (18.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Badgett (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 Badgett mean?
An English locational surname derived from the Old English words "bagga" and "geat," meaning "gate of a badger's den." 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 Badgett (0.91 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 last name Badgett?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Badgett? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.