2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bavery
A locational surname derived from a place name in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bavery. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bavery 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bavery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bavery
The surname BAVERY originated in the small village of Bavery, located in the Normandy region of northern France during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French words "bave" meaning "drool" or "slobber" and "rie" meaning "place or area," likely referring to a marshy or wet area where livestock would drool or slobber while drinking.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a "Radulfus de Bavery" who held lands in the village of the same name.
In the 13th century, records show a "Johannes de Bavery" who was a member of the Knights Templar, a prestigious military order during the Crusades. He participated in several campaigns in the Holy Land and was captured by Saracen forces during the Siege of Acre in 1291.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various manuscripts and tax records across Normandy, including a "Guillaume Bavery" who was a prominent vintner in the town of Rouen in the 1370s.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname was Sir John Bavery (1512-1578), an English courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in negotiations with Spain and France and was knighted for his services in 1557.
Another significant figure was the French philosopher and mathematician, René Bavery (1596-1650), who made important contributions to the development of analytic geometry and the philosophy of rationalism. His work influenced the likes of Descartes and Spinoza.
In the 18th century, the name resurfaces with the English poet and playwright, William Bavery (1725-1786), whose works were widely read and acclaimed during his lifetime, though largely forgotten today.
The 19th century saw the birth of Marie-Louise Bavery (1812-1891), a French author and activist known for her work on women's rights and education. She founded several schools for girls and campaigned tirelessly for greater opportunities for women in academia and the workforce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bavery
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bavery 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 Bavery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bavery
Bavery 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,617 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+12 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,617 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 12,491 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 Bavery 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 | #159,712 | #147,221 | 7.8% |
| Count | 101 | 113 | 11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bavery bearers went from 101 to 113 (+11.9% change). The surname moved up 12,491 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bavery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bavery?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bavery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bavery?
Bavery ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Bavery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bavery.
Has Bavery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bavery went from 101 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 12 (+11.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bavery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavery, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) 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 Bavery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bavery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (8.0%), 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 Bavery (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 Bavery mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in France. 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 Bavery (0.04 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 common is the surname Bavery?
You can see how many people are called Bavery on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.