Find out how popular the last name Bayer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bayer.

Bayer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bayer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bayer in America

Bayer is the 3389th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bayer surname appeared 10,544 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bayer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bayer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bayer

The surname Bayer is of German origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the German word "bauer," which means "peasant" or "farmer." The name likely originated in areas of Germany where farming and agriculture were prominent occupations.

One of the earliest known references to the Bayer surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of ancient documents from the 9th century. In this text, a person named Baiarius is mentioned, which is believed to be an early variant of the modern Bayer name.

During the Middle Ages, the Bayer surname began to spread across various regions of Germany, with different spellings emerging, such as Bair, Baier, and Beyer. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and customs.

In the 14th century, the Bayer name appeared in several historical records, including the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. One notable individual from this period was Johannes Bayer (1572-1625), a German astronomer known for introducing the modern system of stellar designations.

Another prominent figure with the Bayer surname was Otto Bayer (1902-1982), a German chemist who worked for the company Bayer AG and played a crucial role in the development of various pharmaceutical drugs, including aspirin.

In the 16th century, the Bayer surname was associated with several place names in Germany, such as Bayerbach and Bayersdorf, which likely contributed to the spread and popularity of the name in those regions.

Other notable individuals with the Bayer surname include:

1. Hans Bayer (1895-1968), a German architect and urban planner.
2. Herbert Bayer (1900-1985), an Austrian-American graphic designer and artist.
3. Willi Bayer (1913-1990), a German football player and manager.
4. Leverkusen Bayer (1904-1958), a German-born American chemist and inventor.
5. Konrad Bayer (1932-1964), an Austrian mountaineer and author.

The Bayer surname has a rich history deeply rooted in German culture and occupations, with its origins dating back to the early medieval period and its presence documented in various historical records and manuscripts throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bayer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bayer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bayer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bayer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bayer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bayer, please contact us.

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