2000
#9,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,219
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Bainbridge
From the Old English for "bean farmer" or referring to someone who lived near a bridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,667 Americans carry the last name Bainbridge. That puts it at #9,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,470 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bainbridge 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 Bainbridge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,470
Census rank
#9,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,198 bearers of the surname Bainbridge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bainbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bainbridge
The surname Bainbridge is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bainbridge, a village in the Yorkshire Dales region of northern England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "bæcen" meaning "beacon" and "brycg" meaning "bridge," referring to a bridge near a signaling beacon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bainbridge can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "de Baynbrygg." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is listed as "Baynbryg." This historical record provides valuable insights into the early distribution and prevalence of the surname in Yorkshire.
During the 16th century, the spelling of the name appears to have stabilized to its modern form of "Bainbridge." This can be seen in the Wills and Administrations of Yorkshire from 1543, which include the entry "Bainbridge, William, of Askrigg."
One notable individual bearing the Bainbridge surname was Christopher Bainbridge (c. 1462-1514), an English prelate who served as Archbishop of York and later as a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.
Another prominent figure was Commodore William Bainbridge (1774-1833), a naval officer in the United States Navy who commanded the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. His daring exploits and victories against the British earned him widespread recognition.
In the literary realm, the name is associated with Beryl Bainbridge (1932-2010), an acclaimed English novelist and playwright who was nominated for the Booker Prize five times throughout her prolific career.
The Bainbridge surname also has connections to the world of science. Emilia Bainbridge (1800-1873) was a British botanist and bryologist who made significant contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts in the 19th century.
Additionally, the surname has been linked to the town of Bainbridge, Ohio, which was established in the early 19th century and likely named after the naval commander William Bainbridge.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bainbridge
Among Census respondents with the surname Bainbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bainbridge 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 Bainbridge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,919
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 98
- Two or more races2.8% · 89
- Black or African American1.4% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bainbridge
Bainbridge 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
#9,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,324
+105 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 444 places
2020
#9,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,198
-126 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,307 | 3,219 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,751 | 3,324 | 1.13 | +105 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 444 places |
| 2020 | #9,690 | 3,198 | 1.07 | -126 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 61 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 Bainbridge 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 | #9,751 | #9,690 | 0.6% |
| Count | 3,324 | 3,198 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.07 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bainbridge bearers went from 3,324 to 3,198 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,751 to #9,690.
FAQ
Bainbridge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bainbridge?
Name Census estimates that about 3,667 living Americans carry the surname Bainbridge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,470 residents.
How common is Bainbridge?
Bainbridge ranks #9,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,198 people with the surname Bainbridge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,667), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Bainbridge.
Has Bainbridge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bainbridge went from 3,324 recorded bearers to 3,198. That is a decrease of 126 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,751 to #9,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Bainbridge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bainbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bainbridge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bainbridge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (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 Bainbridge (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 Bainbridge mean?
From the Old English for "bean farmer" or referring to someone who lived near a bridge. 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 Bainbridge (1.07 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 common is the surname Bainbridge?
You can see how many people have the surname Bainbridge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.