2000
#15,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,785
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Bayley
An English surname derived from the place-name Bayley, meaning "berry meadow" or "berry clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,212 Americans carry the last name Bayley. That puts it at #14,772 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,952 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bayley 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 Bayley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,952
Census rank
#14,772
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,929 bearers of the surname Bayley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14772nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayley, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bayley
The surname Bayley originated in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bæg" and "leah," meaning "berry" and "clearing" or "meadow," respectively. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a berry patch or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Baigelei" and "Bagelie." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Baylly" and "Bayly" in various historical documents. These spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time, as well as regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in the form of "Bayley" in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327. This spelling has since become the most common form of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Bayley throughout history include:
1. Thomas Bayley (1557-1632), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Summe of Practical Divinity."
2. John Bayley (1763-1841), an English painter and engraver, famous for his portraits and landscapes.
3. Anne Bayley (1789-1825), later known as Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, was the first American-born saint of the Catholic Church.
4. Thomas Haynes Bayley (1797-1839), an English poet and songwriter, best known for composing the lyrics to the popular song "Long, Long Ago."
5. Walter Bayley (1817-1901), an English civil engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of street lighting and sewage systems in London.
The surname Bayley has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Bayley Park in Sussex and Bayley Street in London, further reflecting its deep roots in the country's history and geography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bayley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayley, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bayley 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 Bayley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 1,501
- Black or African American10.2% · 196
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 99
- Two or more races4.8% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bayley
Bayley 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
#16,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,760
-25 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 1,208 places
2020
#14,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,929
+169 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 1,590 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,154 | 1,785 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,362 | 1,760 | 0.60 | -25 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 1,208 places |
| 2020 | #14,772 | 1,929 | 0.65 | +169 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 1,590 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 Bayley 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 | #16,362 | #14,772 | 9.7% |
| Count | 1,760 | 1,929 | 9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.65 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bayley bearers went from 1,760 to 1,929 (+9.6% change). The surname moved up 1,590 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,362 to #14,772.
FAQ
Bayley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bayley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,212 living Americans carry the surname Bayley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,952 residents.
How common is Bayley?
Bayley ranks #14,772 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,929 people with the surname Bayley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Bayley.
Has Bayley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bayley went from 1,760 recorded bearers to 1,929. That is an increase of 169 (+9.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,362 to #14,772.
What does the Census say about the background of Bayley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bayley, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Bayley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (1,501 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bayley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (10.2%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Bayley (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 Bayley mean?
An English surname derived from the place-name Bayley, meaning "berry meadow" or "berry clearing." 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 Bayley (0.65 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 Bayley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.