2000
#9,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Baur
A German occupational surname referring to a peasant or neighbor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,103 Americans carry the last name Baur. That puts it at #11,181 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,459 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baur 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,459
Census rank
#11,181
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,706 bearers of the surname Baur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11181st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baur
The surname Baur is of German origin, originating from the southern regions of Germany during the late medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "bur," which referred to a farmer or peasant. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to those who worked the land or were involved in agricultural pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baur surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria. The name appeared in various medieval records and documents, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of charters and records from Saxony dating back to the 10th century.
In the 14th century, the Baur surname was also found in the Ölbücher, which were official tax records from the city of Nuremberg. These records provide valuable insights into the prevalence and distribution of surnames during that era.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Baur surname, one of the earliest was Johannes Baur (c. 1477-1550), a German theologian and Protestant reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another prominent figure was Johann Wilhelm Baur (1607-1642), a German engraver and printmaker known for his intricate etchings and engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes. His works are highly regarded and can be found in numerous museums and collections worldwide.
In the 19th century, Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792-1860) was a renowned German theologian and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of biblical criticism. He is particularly known for his influential work on the historical development of early Christianity.
The Baur surname also has ties to several notable place names in Germany. For example, the town of Bärnau in Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from the Baur surname, indicating a possible connection to the area's early settlers.
Other notable individuals with the Baur surname include:
1. Adolf Baur (1835-1910), a German architect and city planner
2. Constanze Baur (born 1976), a German professional tennis player
3. Gustav Baur (1809-1873), a German botanist and plant collector
4. Wilhelm Baur (1839-1920), a German painter and illustrator
The Baur surname has a rich history, rooted in the agricultural traditions of medieval Germany. Its enduring presence across centuries and its association with notable individuals in various fields reflect the diverse paths taken by those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baur
Among Census respondents with the surname Baur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Baur 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 Baur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 2,500
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 93
- Two or more races2.9% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baur
Baur 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
#10,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,127
+63 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 566 places
2020
#11,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,706
-421 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 879 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,736 | 3,064 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,302 | 3,127 | 1.06 | +63 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 566 places |
| 2020 | #11,181 | 2,706 | 0.91 | -421 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 879 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 Baur 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 | #10,302 | #11,181 | -8.5% |
| Count | 3,127 | 2,706 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.91 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baur bearers went from 3,127 to 2,706 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 879 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,302 to #11,181.
FAQ
Baur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baur?
Name Census estimates that about 3,103 living Americans carry the surname Baur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,459 residents.
How common is Baur?
Baur ranks #11,181 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,706 people with the surname Baur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Baur.
Has Baur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baur went from 3,127 recorded bearers to 2,706. That is a decrease of 421 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,302 to #11,181.
What does the Census say about the background of Baur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baur, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Baur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (2,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Baur (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 Baur mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a peasant or neighbor. 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 Baur (0.91 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 share the surname Baur?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.