2000
#10,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,957
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Bayles
An English toponymic surname derived from various places named Bayles, likely referring to bailey fortifications.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,237 Americans carry the last name Bayles. That puts it at #10,795 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,886 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bayles 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 Bayles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 105,886
Census rank
#10,795
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,823 bearers of the surname Bayles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10795th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bayles
The surname Bayles is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "baille," meaning a palisade or barrier, and is thought to have been an occupational surname for someone who lived or worked near a palisade or gate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as "Baylly." The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, as well as the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1332, suggesting that the name was well-established in various parts of England by that time.
The Bayles surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Baylies Farm in Berkshire and Bayley's Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.
Notable individuals with the surname Bayles include Walter Bayles, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in the 16th century. Another prominent bearer of the name was John Bayles, a 17th-century English author and playwright known for his works on religious and moral themes.
In the 18th century, Joseph Bayles (1728-1804) was a renowned English engraver and illustrator, known for his intricate works depicting landscapes and architectural subjects. His contemporary, Richard Bayles (1742-1821), was a notable English painter and portraitist who worked in the neoclassical style.
Moving into the 19th century, William Bayles (1804-1872) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Jude in Hampstead.
While the Bayles surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, the focus of this report remains on the historical origins and early bearers of this surname within England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bayles
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bayles 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 Bayles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 2,473
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 116
- Two or more races3.8% · 107
- Black or African American3.1% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bayles
Bayles 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
#10,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,962
+5 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 713 places
2020
#10,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,823
-139 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,056 | 2,957 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,769 | 2,962 | 1.00 | +5 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 713 places |
| 2020 | #10,795 | 2,823 | 0.94 | -139 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 26 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 Bayles 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 | #10,769 | #10,795 | -0.2% |
| Count | 2,962 | 2,823 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.94 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bayles bearers went from 2,962 to 2,823 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,769 to #10,795.
FAQ
Bayles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bayles?
Name Census estimates that about 3,237 living Americans carry the surname Bayles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,886 residents.
How common is Bayles?
Bayles ranks #10,795 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,823 people with the surname Bayles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bayles.
Has Bayles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bayles went from 2,962 recorded bearers to 2,823. That is a decrease of 139 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,769 to #10,795.
What does the Census say about the background of Bayles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayles, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Bayles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (2,473 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bayles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Bayles (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 Bayles mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from various places named Bayles, likely referring to bailey fortifications. 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 Bayles (0.94 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 have the surname Bayles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.