2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Baidoo
A surname of Ghanaian origin that may refer to a planter or farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 493 Americans carry the last name Baidoo. That puts it at #52,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 695,242 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baidoo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Baidoo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
493
1 in 695,242
Census rank
#52,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
430
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 430 bearers of the surname Baidoo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baidoo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baidoo
The surname Baidoo is of Ghanaian origin, originating from the Akan people of Ghana in West Africa. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
Baidoo is derived from the Akan word "baidoo," which means "hunter" or "warrior." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were skilled hunters or warriors within their communities. It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive title or nickname that eventually became a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Baidoo can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Akan people. These stories often featured characters with names like Baidoo, reflecting the cultural significance of hunting and warfare in Akan society.
In the 17th century, during the early years of European exploration and trade in West Africa, the name Baidoo appeared in written records kept by European traders and explorers. These records documented interactions with local Akan communities and often included the names of prominent individuals or leaders.
One notable figure with the surname Baidoo was Nana Baidoo, a powerful chief who ruled over the Akwamu Kingdom in present-day Ghana in the late 17th century. He was known for his military prowess and played a significant role in the expansion of the Akwamu Empire.
Another historical figure with the Baidoo surname was Kwasi Baidoo, a renowned Akan warrior and hunter who lived in the 18th century. Stories of his bravery and skill in hunting and combat have been passed down through generations of Akan oral traditions.
In the 19th century, the name Baidoo gained wider recognition beyond the Akan communities. Kwame Baidoo, born in 1832, was a prominent Ghanaian merchant and trader who established trade routes and networks across West Africa, contributing to the region's economic development.
Efua Baidoo, born in 1867, was a respected Akan herbalist and traditional healer. She played a vital role in preserving and passing down the knowledge of traditional Akan medicine and healing practices.
Throughout the 20th century, several notable individuals with the surname Baidoo emerged, including Kofi Baidoo, a renowned Ghanaian writer and poet born in 1915, and Ama Baidoo, a pioneering Ghanaian educator and advocate for women's rights, born in 1920.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baidoo
Among Census respondents with the surname Baidoo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Baidoo 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 Baidoo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.3% · 384
- Two or more races4.9% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 12
- White2.6% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baidoo
Baidoo 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
#72,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
+130 bearers (+93.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 43,791 places
2020
#52,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
+161 bearers (+59.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 20,171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #72,332 | 269 | 0.09 | +130 bearers (+93.5%) | Up 43,791 places |
| 2020 | #52,161 | 430 | 0.14 | +161 bearers (+59.9%) | Up 20,171 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 Baidoo 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 | #72,332 | #52,161 | 27.9% |
| Count | 269 | 430 | 59.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.14 | 59.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baidoo bearers went from 269 to 430 (+59.9% change). The surname moved up 20,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #72,332 to #52,161.
FAQ
Baidoo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baidoo?
Name Census estimates that about 493 living Americans carry the surname Baidoo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 695,242 residents.
How common is Baidoo?
Baidoo ranks #52,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 430 people with the surname Baidoo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Baidoo.
Has Baidoo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baidoo went from 269 recorded bearers to 430. That is an increase of 161 (+59.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #72,332 to #52,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Baidoo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baidoo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Baidoo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (384 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baidoo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Baidoo (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 Baidoo mean?
A surname of Ghanaian origin that may refer to a planter or farmer. 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 Baidoo (0.14 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 Americans have the surname Baidoo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.