2000
#7,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,040
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.50
Rare Last name
Bae
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Pei, meaning "pear tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,826 Americans carry the last name Bae. That puts it at #4,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,797 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bae 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
7.8K
1 in 43,797
Census rank
#4,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,825 bearers of the surname Bae in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bae
The surname "BAE" is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "baec," which means "back" or "ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ridge or on the back of a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls of Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. The name appears as "de Bae," indicating it may have been associated with a particular location or estate.
In the 16th century, the name was documented in various Scottish records, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, where it was spelled as "Bae" and "Bay." This suggests that the spelling had evolved over time, possibly influenced by regional dialects or scribal variations.
During the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Parish of Ayr, where a man named John Bae was born in 1632. Another notable individual from this period was Robert Bae, a merchant in Edinburgh who was granted a coat of arms in 1672.
In the 18th century, the name continued to be prevalent in Scotland, with records showing individuals such as William Bae (1702-1768), a landowner in Aberdeenshire, and Alexander Bae (1745-1820), a Presbyterian minister in Forfarshire.
As the name spread across Scotland, it also found its way into literary works. In Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Antiquary," published in 1816, a character named Mrs. Bae is mentioned, suggesting that the name was well-established in Scottish society by that time.
Other notable individuals with the surname "BAE" include:
1. George Bae (1788-1862), a Scottish-born businessman who established a successful trading company in New York City.
2. James Bae (1820-1892), a Scottish-born civil engineer who worked on several major infrastructure projects in Canada.
3. Elizabeth Bae (1858-1934), a Scottish-born author and advocate for women's rights, known for her work in promoting education for girls.
4. Robert Bae (1876-1952), a Scottish-born architect who designed several prominent buildings in Sydney, Australia.
5. Margaret Bae (1912-1998), a Scottish-born artist renowned for her landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands.
While the surname "BAE" has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns, carrying with it a rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bae
Among Census respondents with the surname Bae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bae 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 Bae surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.2% · 6,430
- White2.7% · 185
- Two or more races1.5% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 76
- Black or African American0.5% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bae
Bae 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
#5,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,203
+2,163 bearers (+53.5%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 1,984 places
2020
#4,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,825
+622 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Up 623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,590 | 4,040 | 1.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,606 | 6,203 | 2.10 | +2,163 bearers (+53.5%) | Up 1,984 places |
| 2020 | #4,983 | 6,825 | 2.28 | +622 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 623 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 Bae 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 | #5,606 | #4,983 | 11.1% |
| Count | 6,203 | 6,825 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.10 | 2.28 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bae bearers went from 6,203 to 6,825 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 623 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,606 to #4,983.
FAQ
Bae surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bae?
Name Census estimates that about 7,826 living Americans carry the surname Bae. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,797 residents.
How common is Bae?
Bae ranks #4,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,825 people with the surname Bae. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,826), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bae.
Has Bae become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bae went from 6,203 recorded bearers to 6,825. That is an increase of 622 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,606 to #4,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Bae?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (6,430 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bae appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.2%), White (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Bae (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 Bae mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Pei, meaning "pear tree." 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 Bae (2.28 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 Bae?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.