2000
#647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,857
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.74
Uncommon Last name
Baxter
An occupational surname referring to a baker, derived from the Old English "baecestre" meaning a female baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 54,005 Americans carry the last name Baxter. That puts it at #712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baxter 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Baxter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,347
Census rank
#712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 47,095 bearers of the surname Baxter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxter, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baxter
The surname Baxter originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'bækestere', meaning 'baker'. The Baxters were skilled tradespeople who baked and sold bread, which was a highly valued commodity in medieval times.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Baxter dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Bakestere'. This comprehensive survey of England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of various surnames during the Norman era.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various documents and records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as 'Bakester'. During this period, the Baxters were concentrated in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk, which were major centers of agriculture and trade.
One notable figure in history bearing the surname Baxter was Richard Baxter (1615-1691), an English Puritan church leader and prolific author. He wrote numerous influential works, including "The Saints' Everlasting Rest" and "A Call to the Unconverted". His writings had a significant impact on the religious and political landscape of 17th-century England.
Another prominent Baxter was William Baxter (1786-1868), a British philosopher and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of botany and wrote several influential works, including "British Phaenogamous Botany" and "Stirpes Cryptogamicae Oxoniensis".
In the 19th century, the name Baxter was associated with the textile industry. One notable figure from this era was Sir David Baxter (1809-1889), a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist. He established the Baxter Brothers & Co. textile mill, which became one of the largest employers in Dundee, Scotland.
Another Baxter of note was Beverley Baxter (1896-1956), a Canadian novelist, journalist, and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons and was known for his outspoken views on social and political issues. His literary works included the novel "The Blinding Sunrise" and the autobiography "Memories and Portraits".
The name Baxter has also been associated with place names in various parts of England. For example, Baxter's Green is a village in Warwickshire, and Baxter's Hill is a location in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the occupational surname, reflecting the presence of Baxter families in these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baxter
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxter, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Baxter 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 Baxter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.7% · 36,598
- Black or African American13.2% · 6,226
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,920
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,684
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 380
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 287
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baxter
Baxter 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
#706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,033
+1,176 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 16.62
Rank movement Down 59 places
2020
#712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,095
-1,938 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 15.76
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #647 | 47,857 | 17.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #706 | 49,033 | 16.62 | +1,176 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 59 places |
| 2020 | #712 | 47,095 | 15.76 | -1,938 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 6 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 Baxter 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 | #706 | #712 | -0.8% |
| Count | 49,033 | 47,095 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 16.62 | 15.76 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baxter bearers went from 49,033 to 47,095 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #706 to #712.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Baxter
FAQ
Baxter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baxter?
Name Census estimates that about 54,005 living Americans carry the surname Baxter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,347 residents.
How common is Baxter?
Baxter ranks #712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 47,095 people with the surname Baxter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (54,005), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Baxter.
Has Baxter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baxter went from 49,033 recorded bearers to 47,095. That is a decrease of 1,938 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #706 to #712.
What does the Census say about the background of Baxter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baxter, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) 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 Baxter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.7% (36,598 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baxter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.7%), Black (13.2%), 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 Baxter (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 Baxter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a baker, derived from the Old English "baecestre" meaning a female baker. 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 Baxter (15.76 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 Americans have the surname Baxter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.