Bavier
A surname derived from a French place name.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Bavier. That puts it at #129,047 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bavier 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#129,047
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
132
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132 bearers of the surname Bavier in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129047th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bavier
The surname BAVIER is believed to have originated in Germany and France during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old German word "bavara," which means "dweller by the streams." This suggests that the name was initially given to people who lived near rivers or streams.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval German documents dating back to the 13th century. Here, a person named Johannes Bavier is mentioned in a land transaction from the year 1287.
In France, the name appears to have been more commonly spelled as "Bavière," which is the French word for "Bavaria." This may indicate that some bearers of the name were originally from the Bavarian region of Germany before migrating to France.
During the 16th century, the BAVIER surname can be found in various records from the Alsace region, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name was often associated with the town of Bâviere, which is derived from the same root as the surname.
One notable figure with the BAVIER surname was Jean-Baptiste Bavier (1675-1741), a French mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious French Academy of Sciences.
Another individual of note was Christoph Bavier (1615-1690), a German theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was known for his writings on ethics and natural law.
In the 18th century, a family of Baviers settled in the Netherlands, where they became prominent merchants and traders. One member of this family, Willem Bavier (1732-1801), was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated funds to establish a school for underprivileged children in Amsterdam.
The BAVIER name also had a presence in England, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Bavier" or "Bavior." One record from the 17th century mentions a Thomas Bavior who was a landowner in the county of Wiltshire.
Lastly, in the United States, the BAVIER surname can be traced back to German and French immigrants who arrived in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable American bearer of the name was Henry Bavier (1813-1892), a politician and lawyer who served as a judge in the state of Wisconsin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bavier
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bavier 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 Bavier surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4%
- Two or more races4.5%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Bavier 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 | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #129,047 | #129,047 | 0.0% |
| Count | 132 | 132 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Bavier bearers went from 132 to 132 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #129,047.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bavier
FAQ
Bavier surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Bavier?
The surname Bavier holds position #129,047 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Bavier surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bavier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%). 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.