2000
#3,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.43
Uncommon Last name
Bayer
An occupational surname referring to someone who grew or sold berries or lived near a berry farm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,817 Americans carry the last name Bayer. That puts it at #3,392 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bayer 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 Bayer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,005
Census rank
#3,392
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,305 bearers of the surname Bayer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3392nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bayer
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bayer 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 Bayer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 9,485
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 360
- Two or more races2.6% · 273
- Black or African American0.8% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bayer
Bayer 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
#3,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,544
+1,298 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Up 140 places
2020
#3,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,305
-239 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.45
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,529 | 9,246 | 3.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,389 | 10,544 | 3.57 | +1,298 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 140 places |
| 2020 | #3,392 | 10,305 | 3.45 | -239 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 3 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 Bayer 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 | #3,389 | #3,392 | -0.1% |
| Count | 10,544 | 10,305 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.45 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bayer bearers went from 10,544 to 10,305 (-2.3% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,389 to #3,392.
FAQ
Bayer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bayer?
Name Census estimates that about 11,817 living Americans carry the surname Bayer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,005 residents.
How common is Bayer?
Bayer ranks #3,392 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,305 people with the surname Bayer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,817), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bayer.
Has Bayer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bayer went from 10,544 recorded bearers to 10,305. That is a decrease of 239 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,389 to #3,392.
What does the Census say about the background of Bayer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bayer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (9,485 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bayer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bayer (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 Bayer mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who grew or sold berries or lived near a berry farm. 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 Bayer (3.45 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 people are called Bayer?
You can see how common the surname Bayer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.