2000
#26,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 877
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Bao
A Chinese surname meaning "treasure" or "precious," often referring to a package or bundle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,648 Americans carry the last name Bao. That puts it at #7,849 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bao 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 Bao with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 73,742
Census rank
#7,849
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,053 bearers of the surname Bao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7849th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and White (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bao
The surname BAO originated in China, with its earliest known records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "bao," meaning "precious" or "treasure." The name was particularly prevalent in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces of eastern China.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname BAO appeared in several historical documents and local records. One notable mention is found in the "Guangzhou Fuzhi," a local gazetteer from the 12th century, which listed several families with the BAO surname residing in the Guangzhou region.
The earliest known individual with the BAO surname was Bao Zheng (999-1062 AD), a famous magistrate and judge during the Song Dynasty. He was renowned for his integrity and fairness in upholding the law, and his name has become synonymous with justice in Chinese culture.
Another prominent figure was Bao Qingtian (1053-1112 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher from Jiangsu province. His works were highly regarded during the Song Dynasty and influenced subsequent generations of literati.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the BAO surname was also found in various records, including the "Zhejiang Tongzhi," a comprehensive gazetteer of Zhejiang province. One notable individual from this period was Bao Shuya (1568-1631 AD), a scholar and official who served in the imperial court.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the BAO surname continued to be widely present across China. One notable figure was Bao Shichen (1775-1855 AD), a renowned scholar and philanthropist from Zhejiang province. He established several schools and funded educational initiatives in his hometown.
Another individual of note was Bao Zhuan (1836-1884 AD), a military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, one of the deadliest civil wars in human history.
Throughout its history, the BAO surname has been associated with various place names, such as Baoshan (meaning "Precious Mountain") in Shanghai and Baoding (meaning "Precious Capital") in Hebei province, reflecting the significance and prestige of the name in Chinese culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bao
Among Census respondents with the surname Bao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and White (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bao 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 Bao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.8% · 3,720
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 133
- White3.1% · 125
- Black or African American1.0% · 41
- Two or more races0.8% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bao
Bao 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
#11,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,643
+1,766 bearers (+201.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 14,372 places
2020
#7,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,053
+1,410 bearers (+53.3%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 3,994 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,215 | 877 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,843 | 2,643 | 0.90 | +1,766 bearers (+201.4%) | Up 14,372 places |
| 2020 | #7,849 | 4,053 | 1.36 | +1,410 bearers (+53.3%) | Up 3,994 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 Bao 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 | #11,843 | #7,849 | 33.7% |
| Count | 2,643 | 4,053 | 53.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 1.36 | 50.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bao bearers went from 2,643 to 4,053 (+53.3% change). The surname moved up 3,994 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,843 to #7,849.
FAQ
Bao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bao?
Name Census estimates that about 4,648 living Americans carry the surname Bao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,742 residents.
How common is Bao?
Bao ranks #7,849 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,053 people with the surname Bao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Bao.
Has Bao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bao went from 2,643 recorded bearers to 4,053. That is an increase of 1,410 (+53.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,843 to #7,849.
What does the Census say about the background of Bao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and White (3.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,720 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), White (3.1%). 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 Bao (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 Bao mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "treasure" or "precious," often referring to a package or bundle. 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 Bao (1.36 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 Americans have the surname Bao?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.