2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bakely
A surname denoting someone who worked as a baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bakely. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bakely 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bakely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bakely
The surname BAKELY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is derived from the Old English word "bakere," which referred to someone who baked bread or a baker.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname BAKELY can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and their holdings, there is a mention of a William le Bakere in Yorkshire. The use of the prefix "le" before the occupational name was common practice during that time.
Another early reference to the surname BAKELY can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a collection of tax records. This document lists a John Bakely from Lincolnshire, suggesting that the name had already started to take its modern spelling by the 14th century.
During the Middle Ages, the BAKELY surname was often associated with the baking trade and the production of bread. However, some individuals bearing this name may have been landowners or held other occupations unrelated to baking.
One notable person with the surname BAKELY was Robert Bakely, a merchant and alderman who lived in London during the late 15th century (c. 1450-1520). He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Bakers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1498.
Another individual of note was Sir John Bakely (c. 1590-1654), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King Charles I. He was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the BAKELY surname spread beyond England, with some bearers of the name emigrating to the American colonies. One such individual was Thomas Bakely (c. 1620-1688), who settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and planter.
During the 18th century, the spelling of the surname evolved further, with variations such as Bakelie, Bakeley, and Bakelie becoming more common. One notable figure from this period was William Bakelie (1718-1794), a British naval officer who played a significant role in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the BAKELY surname continued to be found throughout England, with some families residing in areas like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire. One notable individual from this time was Sir Edward Bakely (1814-1892), a successful industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Manchester.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bakely
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bakely 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 Bakely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bakely
Bakely 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+24 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 11,501 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-29 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,653 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +24 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 11,501 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 25,653 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 Bakely 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 | #125,282 | #150,935 | -20.5% |
| Count | 137 | 108 | -21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bakely bearers went from 137 to 108 (-21.2% change). The surname moved down 25,653 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bakely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bakely?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bakely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bakely?
Bakely ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Bakely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Bakely.
Has Bakely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bakely went from 137 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 29 (-21.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bakely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakely, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bakely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bakely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Black (2.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bakely (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 Bakely mean?
A surname denoting someone who worked as a baker. 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 Bakely (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 Bakely?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.