Baeza last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Baeza

A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Baeza, derived from Arabic بائثة (bā'iṯa) meaning "hawk".

Baeza, 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 Baeza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baeza in America

Baeza is the 4203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baeza surname appeared 8,432 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Baeza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Baeza 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 4203 4998 -17.28%
Count 8,432 6,436 26.85%
Proportion per 100k 2.86 2.39 17.90%

The history of the last name Baeza

The surname Baeza is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is believed to have derived from the town of Baeza, situated in the province of Jaén, Andalusia, southern Spain.

Baeza, the town, has a rich historical legacy dating back to the Roman era when it was known as Beatia or Beacia. During the Moorish rule in Spain, the town was renamed Bayyadh or Bayyaza, which eventually evolved into the modern-day Baeza. This Arabic influence on the town's name is thought to have contributed to the formation of the surname Baeza.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Baeza can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a census-like record compiled in the 13th century during the Christian reconquest of Seville from the Moors.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the surname Baeza have left their mark. Juan Alfonso Baeza (c. 1375-1436) was a Spanish poet and writer who served as the royal secretary to King Juan II of Castile. Pedro de Baeza (c. 1490-1559) was a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who played a significant role in the Spanish Inquisition.

In the realm of art, Gaspar de Baeza (c. 1540-1590) was a prominent Spanish painter known for his religious works, particularly his altarpieces and retablos. Francisco Baeza (c. 1600-1670) was a Spanish artist renowned for his still-life paintings, which were highly sought after during his lifetime.

During the colonial era, the surname Baeza also found its way to the Americas. One notable figure was Diego de Baeza y Zorrilla (1625-1678), a Spanish nobleman who served as the governor of Havana, Cuba, from 1676 to 1678.

Variations of the surname Baeza have also emerged over time, including Bayeza, Baieza, and Bayesa, reflecting regional linguistic influences and spelling variations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Spanish town of Baeza and its rich historical tapestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baeza

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

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 Baeza was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.75% 485
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.33% 28
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.15% 13
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.28% 24
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.12% 10
Hispanic Origin 93.36% 7,872

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 Baeza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.75% 6.18% -7.21%
Black 0.33% 0.33% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.15% 0.37% -84.62%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.28% 0.19% 38.30%
Two or More Races 0.12% 0.44% -114.29%
Hispanic 93.36% 92.50% 0.93%

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 Baeza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Baeza last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 12, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/baeza-surname-popularity/.

"Baeza last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/baeza-surname-popularity/. Accessed 12 October, 2024

Baeza last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/baeza-surname-popularity/.

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