2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bager
A surname derived from the Old French word "baguier," referring to someone who made or sold rings or jewels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Bager. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bager 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Bager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bager, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bager
The surname Bager is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "bäcker," which means "baker," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a baker or owned a bakery.
One of the earliest known references to the name Bager can be found in the Heidelberg Tax Records of 1396, which lists a person named Hans Bager living in the city at that time. Additionally, the surname appears in various other historical documents from the region, such as the Nuremberg Chronicles of 1493, where a Johannes Bager is mentioned.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bager name began to spread throughout different parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In the town of Memmingen, located in the state of Bavaria, there are records of a family named Bager living there in the late 1500s. The name also appeared in the nearby town of Augsburg, where a prominent merchant named Jakob Bager was active in the early 17th century.
As the name Bager became more widespread, it underwent various spelling variations, including Baeger, Bäger, and Bäcker. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
One notable figure with the surname Bager was Johann Bager, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1632 to 1704. He was born in Nuremberg and authored several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Bager, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1770 to 1846. He was known for his intricate engravings and etchings, many of which depicted landscapes and architectural scenes.
In the 19th century, the Bager name gained prominence in the fields of science and academia. One such example is Karl Bager, a German mathematician and physicist who lived from 1811 to 1881. He made significant contributions to the study of optics and was a professor at the University of Berlin.
Furthermore, the Bager surname can be traced to the Netherlands, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants. One notable Dutch figure with this name was Johan Bager, a military officer and engineer who lived from 1749 to 1815. He played a crucial role in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the Napoleonic Wars.
While the Bager surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational roots of baking, providing a glimpse into the lives and professions of those who bore this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bager
Among Census respondents with the surname Bager, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bager 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 Bager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bager
Bager 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-23 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,948 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-25 bearers (-19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 23,948 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-19.8%) | Down 21,407 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 Bager 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 | #133,863 | #155,270 | -16.0% |
| Count | 126 | 101 | -19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bager bearers went from 126 to 101 (-19.8% change). The surname moved down 21,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #155,270.
FAQ
Bager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bager?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Bager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Bager?
Bager ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Bager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bager.
Has Bager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bager went from 126 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 25 (-19.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bager, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Bager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Bager (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 Bager mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "baguier," referring to someone who made or sold rings or jewels. 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 Bager (0.03 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 are called Bager?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bager? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.