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

Baldor, 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 Baldor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baldor in America

Baldor is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baldor surname appeared 103 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 Baldor.

The history of the last name Baldor

The surname Baldor has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bald" and "dor," which together meant "the bold one." This name was likely bestowed upon a person with a brave or courageous demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baldor surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1194, where a certain William Baldor is mentioned as a landowner. Another historical reference is found in the Patent Rolls of 1311, which document a John Baldor from Lincolnshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Baldor family seemed to have been concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, and Somerset. The name has also been spelled in various ways over the centuries, including Baldore, Bauldor, and Bawdor.

An interesting connection can be drawn between the Baldor surname and the character of Banquo from Shakespeare's famous play "Macbeth." Some scholars have speculated that the name "Banquo" may have been derived from the Old English word "bald," lending credence to the idea that the Baldor name was well-known during Shakespeare's time.

One notable figure with the Baldor surname was Sir Robert Baldor, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another individual of note was William Baldor, a prominent merchant and member of the Guild of Mercers in London during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Baldor family had established roots in the county of Wiltshire, as evidenced by the baptismal records of John Baldor in the parish of Warminster in 1632. Later, in the 18th century, a certain Thomas Baldor gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the city of Bristol.

The Baldor surname has also been associated with places like Baldor's Gate, a medieval gate in the city of Canterbury, Kent, and Baldor's Cliffe, a rocky promontory on the coast of Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Baldor surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baldor

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

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 Baldor 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.

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 Baldor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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