Baumgarten
An occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in an orchard or tree garden.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,845 Americans carry the last name Baumgarten. That puts it at #12,652 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,476 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baumgarten surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,476
Census rank
#12,652
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,445 bearers of the surname Baumgarten in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12652nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baumgarten, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baumgarten
The surname Baumgarten is of German origin, derived from the words 'Baum' meaning 'tree' and 'Garten' meaning 'garden' or 'orchard'. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near a tree garden or orchard.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. In 1295, a record from Würzburg mentions a Johannes Baumgarten, while another document from Heidelberg in 1337 references a Heinricus Baumgarten.
During the Middle Ages, the name Baumgarten was also found in various spellings such as Bawmgarten, Baumgarthen, and Baumgartten, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and writing. Some of these variations were likely influenced by the local dialect or the scribe's interpretation.
In the 16th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the tax rolls of the city of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Hans Baumgarten was listed in 1542. Around the same time, a scholar and humanist named Joachim Baumgarten (1506-1561) gained recognition for his contributions to education and theology.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it became associated with various notable individuals throughout history. For instance, Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten (1714-1762) was a German philosopher and academic who is credited with establishing aesthetics as a distinct field of study.
Another prominent figure was Michael Baumgarten (1812-1889), a German theologian and church historian who served as a professor at the University of Rostock. In the 20th century, Hans Baumgarten (1904-1963) was a German writer and journalist known for his work in the field of travel literature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Germany can be found in the Netherlands, where a certain Wilhelmus Baumgarten was mentioned in a document from Utrecht in 1492. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread beyond its original German roots by the late 15th century.
Overall, the surname Baumgarten has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it originated as a descriptive name for those living near tree gardens or orchards. Over the centuries, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, theologians, and writers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baumgarten
Among Census respondents with the surname Baumgarten, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Baumgarten bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Baumgarten surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0%
- Hispanic or Latino1.5%
- Two or more races0.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
- Black or African American0.2%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Baumgarten surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,986 | #12,652 | -5.6% |
| Count | 2,391 | 2,445 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.83 | -6.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Baumgarten bearers went from 2,391 to 2,445 (+2.3% change). The surname moved down 666 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,986 to #12,652.
FAQ
Baumgarten surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Baumgarten?
The surname Baumgarten holds position #12,652 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,845 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Baumgarten surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baumgarten, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.