2000
#8,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,526
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Bash
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a patch of low-growing bushes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,442 Americans carry the last name Bash. That puts it at #10,217 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bash 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 Bash with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,580
Census rank
#10,217
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,002 bearers of the surname Bash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10217th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bash, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bash
The surname Bash is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "basch," which means "thicket" or "brushwood." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a dense, overgrown area.
In the late Middle Ages, the Bash name appeared in various records and documents across German-speaking regions, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a medieval collection of documents related to the Margraviate of Brandenburg. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 1367 entry, which mentions a certain "Hans Bash" from the town of Lübben.
As the Bash family spread across Europe, the name underwent several spelling variations, such as Basch, Bascht, and Bäsch. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic differences. For instance, in some areas of southern Germany and Austria, the name was commonly spelled as "Bäsch."
One notable figure bearing the Bash surname was Johann Bash (1528-1594), a renowned Protestant theologian and reformer from Nuremberg, Germany. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and authored several influential works on theology and church doctrine.
Another individual of historical significance was Maria Bash (1701-1758), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg. She was highly regarded for her intricate copperplate engravings and portraits, many of which can still be found in museums and art collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, the Bash name gained prominence in the world of music with the birth of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bash (1713-1788), a German composer and organist from Saxony. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the early classical style and his compositions for the organ.
Moving into the 19th century, we find the name associated with Julius Bash (1825-1901), a German-American businessman and philanthropist. He immigrated to the United States in the mid-1800s and became a successful manufacturer and investor in New York City, where he also established several charitable organizations.
The Bash surname has also left its mark in the field of literature with the American writer and poet, Thomas Bash (1946-2000). Born in Massachusetts, he was celebrated for his poignant and introspective works that explored themes of identity, loss, and the human condition.
While the Bash surname may have originated in a specific region, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have left their mark in various fields and professions. Despite its diverse iterations and spellings, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural and linguistic tapestry woven throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bash
Among Census respondents with the surname Bash, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bash 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 Bash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 2,543
- Black or African American7.1% · 213
- Two or more races3.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bash
Bash 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
#9,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,364
-162 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 1,053 places
2020
#10,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,002
-362 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 571 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,593 | 3,526 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,646 | 3,364 | 1.14 | -162 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 1,053 places |
| 2020 | #10,217 | 3,002 | 1.00 | -362 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 571 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 Bash 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 | #9,646 | #10,217 | -5.9% |
| Count | 3,364 | 3,002 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.00 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bash bearers went from 3,364 to 3,002 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 571 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,646 to #10,217.
FAQ
Bash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bash?
Name Census estimates that about 3,442 living Americans carry the surname Bash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,580 residents.
How common is Bash?
Bash ranks #10,217 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 3,002 people with the surname Bash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,442), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Bash.
Has Bash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bash went from 3,364 recorded bearers to 3,002. That is a decrease of 362 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,646 to #10,217.
What does the Census say about the background of Bash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bash, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Bash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (2,543 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Bash (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 Bash mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a patch of low-growing bushes. 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 Bash (1.00 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 Bash?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.