2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bahde
A shortened form of the German surname Badhüte, referring to a bathhouse attendant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Bahde. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bahde 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Bahde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bahde
The surname "BAHDE" is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Lower Saxony. It is thought to have emerged around the 13th or 14th century. The name may be derived from the Old German word "bade," which referred to a bath or a spa, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a bathhouse or a natural spring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BAHDE" can be found in the records of the town of Lüneburg, located in Lower Saxony. A document from the year 1389 mentions a certain "Johannes Bahde," who was a merchant engaged in the salt trade, which was a significant industry in that region during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Bremen, also in Lower Saxony. A man named "Hinrich BAHDE" is mentioned as a member of the local guild of bakers in 1542. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of northern Germany by that time.
In the 17th century, the name "BAHDE" is found in the church records of the town of Schneverdingen, located in the Lüneburg Heath region of Lower Saxony. A woman named "Anna BAHDE" is recorded as having been born in 1632, indicating that the name had taken root in that area.
One notable figure with the surname "BAHDE" was Johann Friedrich BAHDE, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1733 to 1805. He was born in the town of Wittingen, near Lüneburg, and went on to become a professor at the University of Helmstedt.
Another individual of historical significance bearing this surname was Carl Friedrich BAHDE, a German landscape painter who lived from 1801 to 1892. He was born in the city of Hanover and is known for his romantic depictions of the German countryside and architecture.
In the 19th century, the name "BAHDE" can be found in various records from the region of Schleswig-Holstein, which was then part of the Kingdom of Denmark. For instance, a man named "Peter BAHDE" is listed as a farmer in the village of Groß Vollstedt in the 1860s.
It is worth noting that the name "BAHDE" may have had variations in spelling over time, such as "Bahde," "Bade," or "Baade," particularly in different regions or due to local dialects. However, the core meaning and origin of the name appear to be consistent with its association with baths or spas in northern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bahde
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bahde 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 Bahde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bahde
Bahde 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,006 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 6,006 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Bahde 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bahde bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Bahde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bahde?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Bahde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Bahde?
Bahde ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Bahde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bahde.
Has Bahde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bahde went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Bahde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bahde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bahde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Black (2.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Bahde (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 Bahde mean?
A shortened form of the German surname Badhüte, referring to a bathhouse attendant. 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 Bahde (0.04 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 Bahde?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.