2000
#5,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.28
Rare Last name
Bayless
A locational surname derived from the Old French term "baillis," referring to a fortified area or courtyard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,753 Americans carry the last name Bayless. That puts it at #5,678 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bayless 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 Bayless with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,756
Census rank
#5,678
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,889 bearers of the surname Bayless in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5678th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bayless
The surname Bayless is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the southwestern regions of the country, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bæg" and "leah," which translate to "ring-shaped hill" or "clearing in a ring of trees." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person or family who lived near or owned such a geographic feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bayless surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Bagelei," a spelling that reflects the linguistic evolution of the name over time.
In the 13th century, records show variants of the name, such as "Bayly" and "Bailly," appearing in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. This supports the theory that the name originated in the southwestern regions.
A notable figure bearing the Bayless surname was Sir John Bayless, a prominent English judge who lived from 1512 to 1589. He served as a Justice of the Court of King's Bench during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and played a significant role in the legal system of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Bayless, born in 1612 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a renowned Puritan clergyman and author who emigrated to New England in 1638 and became one of the founders of the town of Sandwich, Massachusetts.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various records and documents, such as parish registers and court proceedings. For instance, a certain William Bayless, born in 1724 in Wiltshire, England, was a prominent landowner and farmer who contributed to the local economy and community.
Across the Atlantic, the Bayless surname took root in the American colonies, with several individuals bearing the name making their mark. One such figure was Samuel Bayless, born in 1745 in Virginia, who served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
As the centuries passed, the Bayless surname continued to spread and evolve, with various branches and lineages emerging in different regions and countries. While the origins of the name can be traced back to medieval England, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many nations, reflecting the diverse histories and journeys of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bayless
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bayless 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 Bayless surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 4,992
- Black or African American5.7% · 337
- Two or more races4.2% · 245
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 242
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bayless
Bayless 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
#5,632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,171
+26 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 411 places
2020
#5,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,889
-282 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,221 | 6,145 | 2.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,632 | 6,171 | 2.09 | +26 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 411 places |
| 2020 | #5,678 | 5,889 | 1.97 | -282 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 46 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 Bayless 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 | #5,632 | #5,678 | -0.8% |
| Count | 6,171 | 5,889 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 1.97 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bayless bearers went from 6,171 to 5,889 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,632 to #5,678.
FAQ
Bayless surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bayless?
Name Census estimates that about 6,753 living Americans carry the surname Bayless. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,756 residents.
How common is Bayless?
Bayless ranks #5,678 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 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 5,889 people with the surname Bayless. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,753), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 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 Bayless.
Has Bayless become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bayless went from 6,171 recorded bearers to 5,889. That is a decrease of 282 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,632 to #5,678.
What does the Census say about the background of Bayless?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayless, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bayless in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (4,992 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bayless appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bayless (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 Bayless mean?
A locational surname derived from the Old French term "baillis," referring to a fortified area or courtyard. 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 Bayless (1.97 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 Bayless?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Bayless, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.