2000
#10,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,656
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Bailon
A surname of French origin derived from the Old French word "bail," meaning "guard" or "keeper."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,102 Americans carry the last name Bailon. That puts it at #8,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,558 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bailon 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
4.1K
1 in 83,558
Census rank
#8,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,577 bearers of the surname Bailon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bailon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and White (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bailon
The surname Bailon is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "baile," meaning "dance" or "ballet." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the performing arts or those who were known for their dancing skills.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bailon can be found in the 13th century, when a nobleman named Gonzalo Bailon was mentioned in the Cantigas de Santa María, a collection of poems and songs written during the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284). This literary reference provides evidence of the name's existence during that era.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in a legal document from the city of Seville, where a certain Juan Bailon was listed as a witness to a property transaction. This record indicates that the name had spread beyond its initial regional boundaries and was present in various parts of Spain.
During the 16th century, one notable figure bearing the surname Bailon was Pascual Bailon, a Spanish friar and mystic who lived from 1540 to 1592. He was known for his piety and devotion to the Franciscan Order and was later canonized by the Catholic Church in 1690.
Another prominent individual with the surname Bailon was Diego Bailon, a 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet. Born in Seville in 1602, he gained recognition for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age theater, producing numerous plays and literary works.
In the 18th century, the name Bailon was associated with Manuel Bailon, a Spanish military officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars. He played a significant role in the defense of Cádiz against the French forces during the Peninsular War (1808-1814).
The 19th century saw the birth of Emilio Bailon, a Spanish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraiture. He was born in Madrid in 1828 and gained recognition for his works, which were exhibited in various galleries across Spain.
Throughout its history, the surname Bailon has been linked to various locations and place names within Spain, such as Bailon de Calatrava, a municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, and Bailon de Rute, a village in the province of Córdoba. These place names may have contributed to the further spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bailon
Among Census respondents with the surname Bailon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and White (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bailon 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 Bailon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.2% · 3,119
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 153
- White3.7% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 125
- Two or more races0.9% · 32
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bailon
Bailon 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
#8,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,702
+1,046 bearers (+39.4%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 2,136 places
2020
#8,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,577
-125 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,986 | 2,656 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,850 | 3,702 | 1.26 | +1,046 bearers (+39.4%) | Up 2,136 places |
| 2020 | #8,798 | 3,577 | 1.20 | -125 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 52 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 Bailon 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 | #8,850 | #8,798 | 0.6% |
| Count | 3,702 | 3,577 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.20 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bailon bearers went from 3,702 to 3,577 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,850 to #8,798.
FAQ
Bailon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bailon?
Name Census estimates that about 4,102 living Americans carry the surname Bailon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,558 residents.
How common is Bailon?
Bailon ranks #8,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,577 people with the surname Bailon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bailon.
Has Bailon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bailon went from 3,702 recorded bearers to 3,577. That is a decrease of 125 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,850 to #8,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Bailon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bailon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and White (3.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bailon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (3,119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bailon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%), White (3.7%). 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 Bailon (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 Bailon mean?
A surname of French origin derived from the Old French word "bail," meaning "guard" or "keeper." 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 Bailon (1.20 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 Bailon?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Bailon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.