Explore the Family Name Bahia
The meaning of Bahia
1. Spanish (Bahía): topographic name from bahía ‘bay’, or a habitational name from a place called with this word, namely La Bahía in Málaga province. In Galicia (mainly Ourense) this name may be of Portuguese origin (see 2 below). 2. Portuguese: variant of Baia, with the same meaning as in 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bahia in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bahia has significantly increased over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 93,006 in terms of frequency, but by 2010, it had climbed to 65,424, marking a change of almost 30%. The count of individuals with the Bahia surname also saw a substantial increase, from 183 in 2000 to 303 in 2010, representing a growth of more than 65%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Bahia per 100,000 also rose by approximately 43% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #93,006 | #65,424 | 29.66% |
| Count | 183 | 303 | 65.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.07 | 0.1 | 42.86% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bahia
In regard to ethnicity, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there was a notable shift in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Bahia between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew by about 14%, rising from 56.83% to 65.02%. Meanwhile, the share of White and Hispanic identifiers decreased by 22.77% and 31.07% respectively. Interestingly, while there was no record of Black identifiers in 2000, by 2010, they made up almost 4% of the individuals with the Bahia surname. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year, and the percentage of those reporting two or more races dropped to zero in 2010 after being 6.01% in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 56.83% | 65.02% | 14.41% |
| White | 33.33% | 25.74% | -22.77% |
| Black | 0% | 3.96% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 3.83% | 2.64% | -31.07% |
| Two or More Races | 6.01% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |