Find out how popular the last name Bald is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bald.

Bald, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bald in America

Bald is the 29261st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bald surname appeared 809 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bald to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bald

The surname BALD originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "beald," which means bold or daring. The name was likely first used as a nickname for someone with a bold or courageous demeanor.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that include variants of the name BALD. For instance, there is a record of a landowner named Baldrich in Worcestershire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname BALD was William Bald, a 13th-century English landowner and knight who fought in the Barons' War against King John. Another notable figure was John Bald, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Dublin from 1370 to 1384.

During the 16th century, the surname BALD was also found in various place names across England. For example, there was a village called Balderton in Nottinghamshire, which likely derived its name from a person with the surname BALD who owned or lived in the area.

In the 17th century, a famous bearer of the surname BALD was Sir John Bald (1585-1659), an English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1638-1639. Another notable figure from this period was Robert Bald (1776-1861), a Scottish engineer and author who wrote several books on mining and engineering.

In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the surname BALD was William Bald (1789-1857), a Scottish writer and journalist who worked for various newspapers and published several books, including a biography of Lord Byron.

Overall, the surname BALD has a long and rich history, originating from Old English and appearing in various historical records and place names throughout the centuries. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, clergymen, politicians, engineers, and authors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bald

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bald.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bald was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bald has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bald was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bald, please contact us.

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