2000
#4,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,641
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Baxley
From the Old English words "baec" meaning "back" and "leah" meaning "wood" or "clearing," referring to someone who lived near a wood or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,445 Americans carry the last name Baxley. That puts it at #5,196 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,038 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baxley 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
7.4K
1 in 46,038
Census rank
#5,196
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,492 bearers of the surname Baxley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5196th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baxley
The surname Baxley is of English origin, emerging in the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Baxley, a parish in the county of Suffolk, England. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "bæcc" meaning "ridge" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing," suggesting that the original bearers of the name resided near a ridge or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1239, where it appears as "Baxeleye." This reference provides evidence of the name's existence in medieval times and its connection to the Suffolk parish.
During the 14th century, the surname Baxley appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where it was recorded as "Baxle." This variant spelling offers insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 16th century, the name Baxley was associated with notable individuals such as John Baxley, a merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, who lived from around 1510 to 1580. His prominence in the local community suggests the family's standing during that period.
Another historical figure bearing the Baxley name was William Baxley, born in 1656 in Baxley, Suffolk. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the county, further highlighting the name's ties to the local area.
Moving forward to the 18th century, records show that Thomas Baxley, born in 1712 in Baxley, Suffolk, was a renowned scholar and author, publishing works on theology and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name Baxley gained recognition through the accomplishments of Charles Baxley, born in 1825 in Baxley, Suffolk. He was a skilled architect and designed several notable buildings in the region, including churches and public buildings.
While the surname Baxley originated in the county of Suffolk, it eventually spread to other parts of England and beyond, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baxley
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Baxley 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 Baxley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 5,626
- Black or African American4.3% · 276
- Two or more races4.1% · 266
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 224
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baxley
Baxley 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
#5,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,852
+211 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.32
Rank movement Down 262 places
2020
#5,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,492
-360 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,849 | 6,641 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,111 | 6,852 | 2.32 | +211 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 262 places |
| 2020 | #5,196 | 6,492 | 2.17 | -360 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 85 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 Baxley 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 | #5,111 | #5,196 | -1.7% |
| Count | 6,852 | 6,492 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.32 | 2.17 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baxley bearers went from 6,852 to 6,492 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,111 to #5,196.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Baxley
FAQ
Baxley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baxley?
Name Census estimates that about 7,445 living Americans carry the surname Baxley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,038 residents.
How common is Baxley?
Baxley ranks #5,196 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,492 people with the surname Baxley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Baxley.
Has Baxley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baxley went from 6,852 recorded bearers to 6,492. That is a decrease of 360 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,111 to #5,196.
What does the Census say about the background of Baxley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Baxley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (5,626 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baxley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Baxley (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 Baxley mean?
From the Old English words "baec" meaning "back" and "leah" meaning "wood" or "clearing," referring to someone who lived near a wood or clearing. 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 Baxley (2.17 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 Baxley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Baxley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.