Find out how popular the last name Báez is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Báez.

Báez, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Báez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Báez in America

Báez is the 1121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Báez surname appeared 31,298 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Báez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Báez to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Báez

The surname Baez is of Spanish origin, and its earliest known origins can be traced back to the late 15th century in the region of Galicia, located in northwestern Spain. The name is believed to be derived from the Galician word "baeza," which means "valley" or "lowland." This suggests that the name was likely initially given to someone who lived in a valley or lowland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baez surname can be found in the historical records of the town of Baeza, located in the southern Spanish province of Jaén. These records date back to the late 15th century and include references to several individuals bearing the Baez name. It is possible that the surname originated as a toponymic surname, meaning it was derived from the name of a place.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Baez surname began to spread across Spain and its colonies, particularly in the Americas. One notable individual from this time period was Juan Baez de Herrera, a Spanish colonist who settled in present-day Colombia in the mid-16th century and played a role in the establishment of several towns and cities.

In the 18th century, the Baez surname gained prominence in Puerto Rico, where several families with this name were among the island's early settlers. One notable figure was Juan Baez de Valde, a military officer and landowner who lived in the late 18th century and owned several large estates in Puerto Rico.

The 19th century saw the continued spread of the Baez surname throughout the Spanish-speaking world. One notable individual from this time was Buenaventura Baez, a Dominican writer, politician, and diplomat who served as President of the Dominican Republic from 1849 to 1853 and again from 1856 to 1858.

In more recent history, the Baez surname has been carried by several famous individuals, including the American folk singer Joan Baez, who was born in 1941 and is known for her activism and contributions to the civil rights and anti-war movements. Another notable figure is the Argentine-American writer and journalist Cecilia Baez, who was born in 1952 and has written extensively on issues related to immigration and Latin American culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Báez

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Báez.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Báez was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Báez has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Báez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Báez, please contact us.

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