2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bagtas
An Arabic surname meaning "survivor" or "one who has been saved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 267 Americans carry the last name Bagtas. That puts it at #86,153 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,283,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bagtas 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
267
1 in 1,283,724
Census rank
#86,153
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
233
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 233 bearers of the surname Bagtas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86153rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagtas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bagtas
The surname BAGTAS has its origins in the Philippines, tracing back to the early 19th century. It is believed to have derived from the Tagalog language, which is the predominant language spoken in the Philippine archipelago.
One theory suggests that BAGTAS is a variation of the Tagalog word "bagtás," which means "to cut through" or "to traverse." This could indicate that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived in remote areas or those who traversed difficult terrain, perhaps as traders or explorers.
Another hypothesis links the surname to the Tagalog word "bagtas," which can be translated as "passage" or "opening." In this context, the name may have referred to individuals who lived near a significant passage or opening, such as a mountain pass or a river crossing.
While there are no definitive historical records of the BAGTAS surname appearing in ancient manuscripts or texts, some of the earliest documented instances can be found in church records and land registries from the early 1800s in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, located in the central Luzon region of the Philippines.
Among the notable individuals who bore the BAGTAS surname throughout history are:
1. Francisco BAGTAS (1823-1892), a prominent landowner and community leader in the town of Hagonoy, Bulacan.
2. Maria BAGTAS (1845-1912), a renowned weaver and entrepreneur from San Fernando, Pampanga, known for her intricate designs and contributions to the local textile industry.
3. Juan BAGTAS (1871-1944), a celebrated poet and writer from Malolos, Bulacan, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and Filipino identity.
4. Rosario BAGTAS (1895-1978), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who established one of the first all-girls schools in Bulacan.
5. Manuel BAGTAS (1912-1988), a highly decorated soldier and war hero who fought for the Philippine resistance during World War II.
While the BAGTAS surname may have originated from specific geographic locations or occupations in the Philippines, it has since spread across the country and even abroad, carried by individuals and families who have migrated to different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bagtas
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagtas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bagtas 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 Bagtas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.8% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 7
- White2.6% · 6
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bagtas
Bagtas 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+56 bearers (+37.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 19,575 places
2020
#86,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
+27 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 3,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +56 bearers (+37.3%) | Up 19,575 places |
| 2020 | #86,153 | 233 | 0.08 | +27 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 3,600 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 Bagtas 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 | #89,753 | #86,153 | 4.0% |
| Count | 206 | 233 | 13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bagtas bearers went from 206 to 233 (+13.1% change). The surname moved up 3,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #86,153.
FAQ
Bagtas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bagtas?
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the surname Bagtas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,283,724 residents.
How common is Bagtas?
Bagtas ranks #86,153 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 233 people with the surname Bagtas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Bagtas.
Has Bagtas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bagtas went from 206 recorded bearers to 233. That is an increase of 27 (+13.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,753 to #86,153.
What does the Census say about the background of Bagtas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bagtas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and White (2.6%). 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 Bagtas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bagtas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.8%), Hispanic (3.0%), White (2.6%). 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 Bagtas (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 Bagtas mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "survivor" or "one who has been saved." 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 Bagtas (0.08 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 Bagtas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.