Explore the Family Name Baron
The meaning of Baron
1. French, English, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Croatian; Breton (also Le Baron): from Old French barun, baron, Middle English barun, baroun, Middle Dutch baroen, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and dialectal Croatian baron ‘baron’ (i.e. a nobleman ranking below an earl and above a knight), a title of nobility which was in England also awarded to certain freemen of the cities of London and York and of the Cinque Ports. As a surname it is unlikely to be a status name denoting a person of rank. Generally, it referred to service in a baronial household or was acquired as a nickname by a peasant who had ideas above his station or applied to a man showing characteristics of a nobleman. See also 3 and 4 below, compare Barron and Lebaron. 2. French: habitational name from (Le) Baron, the name of several places in various parts of France. Compare Lebaron. 3. German: status name for a freeman or baron, from barūn ‘imperial or church official’, a loanword in Middle High German from Old French (see 1 above). 4. Spanish (Barón): nickname from the title barón ‘baron’, applied as a nickname or as an occupational name for a member of the household of a baron (see 1 above); or from an old personal name of the same origin, in the sense ‘free man’ (compare 3 above). 5. Italian (Veneto): variant of Barone. 6. Czech (also Baroň): from a pet form of the personal name Bartoloměj (see Bartholomew). 7. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bearáin (see Barnes 3). 8. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): artificial name meaning ‘baron’, from German, Polish, or Russian (see 1 above). In Israel, the surname is often interpreted, by folk etymology, as being from Bar-On ‘son of strength’. History: Nicolas Baron dit Lupien from Villenauxe-la-Grande in Aube (Champagne), France, is documented in Montreal, QC, in 1676, when he married Marie Chauvin. His descendants also bear the former secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name Lupien. Jacques Baron dit Le Baron from Normandy in France is documented in Île d’Orléans, QC, in 1698.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Baron in the United States?
The surname Baron, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has exhibited mild changes in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname slipped slightly from 2152 in 2000 to 2234 in 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity by approximately 3.81%. However, it's worth noting that the actual count of people with the surname Baron increased by 5.46% during the same period, rising from 15,464 in 2000 to 16,308 in 2010. This translates into a slight reduction in the proportion of Barons per 100k people, from 5.73 to 5.53, marking a decrease of 3.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,152 | #2,234 | -3.81% |
| Count | 15,464 | 16,308 | 5.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.73 | 5.53 | -3.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Baron
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts among those carrying the surname Baron between 2000 and 2010. While a majority identified as White (80.61%), there was a decrease of about 4.96% from the previous decade. The Hispanic representation within the Baron surname increased by 27.62%, going up to 11.55% in 2010 from 9.05% in 2000. Similarly, individuals identifying as Black also increased by 24.59%, reaching 3.80% in 2010. Notably, there was a significant increase of 52.56% in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, albeit still representing a small proportion at 2.38%. Those identifying as two or more races saw an increase of 11.51%. On the other hand, representation among American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 7.69%, making up only 0.12% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.82% | 80.61% | -4.96% |
| Hispanic | 9.05% | 11.55% | 27.62% |
| Black | 3.05% | 3.8% | 24.59% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.56% | 2.38% | 52.56% |
| Two or More Races | 1.39% | 1.55% | 11.51% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.13% | 0.12% | -7.69% |
Baron ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Baron is British & Irish, which comprises 25.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (23.0%) and French & German (17.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Scandinavian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 25.8% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 23.0% |
| French & German | 17.2% |
| Other | 33.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Baron
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Baron have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 52.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 52.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 52.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 52.20% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 51.80% |
What Baron haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Baron is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Simon, Schwartz, Klein, Weiss, Schneider, Hoffman, Kramer, Herman, Frank, Kaufman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Baron surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Baron have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Baron" Surname 42.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Baron" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Baron" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Baron" Surname 16.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Baron?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Baron are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition