2000
#5,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,935
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Bode
A German and Dutch surname derived from a nickname meaning "messenger" or "herald."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,609 Americans carry the last name Bode. That puts it at #5,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,862 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bode 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 Bode with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,862
Census rank
#5,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,763 bearers of the surname Bode in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bode
The surname Bode is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "bode" or "boden," meaning "messenger" or "envoy." It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, when it was used as an occupational surname for individuals who worked as messengers or couriers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bode can be found in the Bode Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery located in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which was founded in the late 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period and may have been associated with individuals living or working in proximity to the abbey.
In the 14th century, the name Bode appeared in various historical records, such as the Bode Register, a compilation of land and tax records from the region of Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, Germany. This register provides valuable insights into the geographical distribution and prevalence of the surname during that time.
One notable individual bearing the surname Bode was Johann Elert Bode (1747-1826), a renowned German astronomer and mathematician. He is best known for his contributions to the field of astronomy, including the discovery of the Bode's law, which describes the patterns in the distances of planets from the Sun.
Another prominent figure was Johann Joachim Christoph Bode (1730-1793), a German theologian and philosopher who played a significant role in the Enlightenment movement. His works, such as "An Attempt at the Allegorical Interpretation of the Doctrine of Reason," gained widespread recognition and influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 19th century, the surname Bode was carried by Wilhelm Bode (1862-1922), a German sculptor and medalist known for his works in Berlin and other German cities. His sculptures and medallions adorned several prominent buildings and public spaces, leaving a lasting impact on the artistic landscape of the era.
The name Bode has also been associated with several notable places, such as the Bode Valley in the Harz Mountains of Germany, which likely derived its name from the surname or the Old German word "bode." Additionally, the Bode River, a tributary of the Saale River in Saxony-Anhalt, may have connections to the surname's geographical origins.
Throughout history, the surname Bode has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scientists, theologians, artists, and others who have left their mark in their respective fields. While its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured and continues to be a part of German cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bode
Among Census respondents with the surname Bode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bode 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 Bode surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 5,175
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 279
- Two or more races2.8% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 83
- Black or African American0.9% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bode
Bode 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
#5,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,824
-111 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#5,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,763
-61 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Up 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,400 | 5,935 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,919 | 5,824 | 1.97 | -111 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #5,789 | 5,763 | 1.93 | -61 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 130 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 Bode 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 | #5,919 | #5,789 | 2.2% |
| Count | 5,824 | 5,763 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.97 | 1.93 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bode bearers went from 5,824 to 5,763 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,919 to #5,789.
FAQ
Bode surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bode?
Name Census estimates that about 6,609 living Americans carry the surname Bode. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,862 residents.
How common is Bode?
Bode ranks #5,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.93 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 5,763 people with the surname Bode. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,609), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.93 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 Bode.
Has Bode become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bode went from 5,824 recorded bearers to 5,763. That is a decrease of 61 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,919 to #5,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Bode?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bode, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bode in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (5,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bode appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bode (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 Bode mean?
A German and Dutch surname derived from a nickname meaning "messenger" or "herald." 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 Bode (1.93 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 Americans have the surname Bode?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.