2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Baptie
A surname derived from the Greek name "Baptista", meaning "one who baptizes".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Baptie. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baptie 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 Baptie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Baptie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baptie, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baptie
The surname Baptie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the French word "Baptiste," which means "Baptist" or "one who baptizes." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with someone involved in religious practices or the clergy.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Baptie can be found in parish records from the Scottish Borders region, particularly around the towns of Kelso and Jedburgh. In these early records, variations in spelling were common, with forms such as Baptie, Baptye, and Baptee appearing.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Baptie, a landowner from the village of Sprouston in the Scottish Borders, who was recorded in the Retours of Services of Heirs in 1599. This document provided evidence of land ownership and inheritance.
Another notable figure was William Baptie, a merchant and burgess (a respected citizen of a town or borough) in Kelso in the late 17th century. He was mentioned in the Burgh Records of Kelso, which documented the activities and decisions of the town council.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in the records of the Scottish Episcopal Church, with a John Baptie serving as a minister in the parish of Jedburgh in the 1720s.
One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Baptie was Robert Baptie, a Scottish author and poet born in 1799 in Ayrshire. He published several works, including "The Harp of Renfrewshire" and "The Baptie Garland," which celebrated Scottish culture and traditions.
Another notable figure was Alexander Baptie, a Scottish engineer and inventor born in 1833 in Aberdeen. He is credited with several innovations in the field of marine engineering, including improvements to steam engines and propeller designs.
While the surname Baptie is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Borders region and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, clergy, authors, and engineers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baptie
Among Census respondents with the surname Baptie, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Baptie 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 Baptie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baptie
Baptie 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-1 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,540 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-35 bearers (-26.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 28,511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | -1 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 8,540 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -35 bearers (-26.1%) | Down 28,511 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 Baptie 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 | #127,494 | #156,005 | -22.4% |
| Count | 134 | 99 | -26.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baptie bearers went from 134 to 99 (-26.1% change). The surname moved down 28,511 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #156,005.
FAQ
Baptie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baptie?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Baptie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Baptie?
Baptie ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Baptie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Baptie.
Has Baptie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baptie went from 134 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 35 (-26.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Baptie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baptie, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Baptie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baptie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Baptie (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 Baptie mean?
A surname derived from the Greek name "Baptista", meaning "one who baptizes". 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 Baptie (0.03 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 are called Baptie?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Baptie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.