2000
#2,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.73
Uncommon Last name
Baron
A status surname referring to a landowner who held a barony, ranking below a viscount in the nobility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,801 Americans carry the last name Baron. That puts it at #2,288 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,255 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baron 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 Baron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,255
Census rank
#2,288
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,523 bearers of the surname Baron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2288th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baron, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baron
The surname Baron originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "baron," which was a loanword from the medieval Latin term "baro," meaning a man or husband. The word "baro" itself originated from the medieval Spanish word "varon," meaning a man or warrior.
In medieval France, the title "baron" referred to a feudal lord or nobleman who held land and power from a higher authority, typically a count or duke. The surname Baron likely emerged as a way to identify individuals associated with a particular baron or noble family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Baron can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Baron, indicating that the name was already in use in parts of England by the late 11th century.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname Baron became more widespread throughout France and England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Étienne Baron (c. 1135-1189), a French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade, and William Baron (c. 1225-1292), an English landowner and member of the gentry in Hertfordshire.
In the 14th century, the surname Baron continued to gain prominence, particularly in England. One notable figure was Sir Ralph Baron (c. 1320-1390), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament who served as Sheriff of Hertfordshire and Essex.
The 15th century saw the emergence of several distinguished individuals with the surname Baron, including John Baron (c. 1438-1510), a prominent English merchant and alderman of London, and Richard Baron (c. 1450-1524), an English churchman who served as Bishop of London from 1504 to 1521.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Baron remained well-established in various parts of Europe, particularly in France, England, and the Netherlands. Notable individuals from this period include Bonaventure Baron (c. 1610-1696), a French mathematician and physicist, and Samuel Baron (c. 1625-1697), an English minister and author known for his works on biblical criticism and theology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baron
Among Census respondents with the surname Baron, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Baron 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 Baron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 12,080
- Hispanic or Latino13.1% · 2,031
- Black or African American3.7% · 574
- Two or more races2.7% · 419
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 401
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baron
Baron 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
#2,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,308
+844 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 5.53
Rank movement Down 82 places
2020
#2,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,523
-785 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 5.19
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,152 | 15,464 | 5.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,234 | 16,308 | 5.53 | +844 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 82 places |
| 2020 | #2,288 | 15,523 | 5.19 | -785 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 54 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 Baron 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 | #2,234 | #2,288 | -2.4% |
| Count | 16,308 | 15,523 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.53 | 5.19 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baron bearers went from 16,308 to 15,523 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,234 to #2,288.
FAQ
Baron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baron?
Name Census estimates that about 17,801 living Americans carry the surname Baron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,255 residents.
How common is Baron?
Baron ranks #2,288 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,523 people with the surname Baron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Baron.
Has Baron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baron went from 16,308 recorded bearers to 15,523. That is a decrease of 785 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,234 to #2,288.
What does the Census say about the background of Baron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baron, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Baron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (12,080 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Hispanic (13.1%), Black (3.7%). 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 Baron (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 Baron mean?
A status surname referring to a landowner who held a barony, ranking below a viscount in the nobility. 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 Baron (5.19 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 Baron?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.