Explore the Family Name Bau

The meaning of Bau

1. German: metonymic occupational name from Old High German bū, Middle High German bū, bou ‘cultivation of fields’ or topographic name for someone in a conspicuous building, Middle High German bū, bou. 2. Italian (Veneto; also Baù): of German or ancient Germanic origin (see 1 above and 3 below). 3. French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Bavo. Alternatively, (at least and Alsace and Lorraine), a surname of German origin (see 1 above). Compare Lebeau 2. 4. Chinese: variant of Bao 1–5. History: Probably the first Bau in North America was Jean Bau dit Lalouette from France, who was in QC by c.1672. However, his descendants bear altered forms of the surname, such as Lebeau 2 and its variants.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bau in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bau increased significantly between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname rose from 43,546 to 37,544, a change of 13.78%. Additionally, the number of individuals with this surname also saw a noteworthy increase, from 467 in 2000 to 593 in 2010, indicating a growth of 26.98%. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people also grew by 17.65% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#43,546#37,54413.78%
Count46759326.98%
Proportion per 100k0.170.217.65%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bau

In terms of ethnicity, the census data reveals some interesting shifts over the decade. The percentage of individuals with the Bau surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander showed a slight increase from 23.55% in 2000 to 23.95% in 2010. However, there was a significant jump in those identifying as Hispanic, increasing by 62.23% to reach 11.47% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 7.91%, falling from 65.74% to 60.54%. Notably, there were no individuals identifying as having two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010, whereas in 2000, 2.57% had identified as having two or more races. Black individuals made up 2.36% of the population with the Bau surname in 2010, which was a new addition to the ethnic distribution. This variation in the ethnic identity of individuals with the Bau surname, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, reflects the diverse nature of the U.S. population.

20002010Change
White65.74%60.54%-7.91%
Asian/Pacific Islander23.55%23.95%1.7%
Hispanic7.07%11.47%62.23%
Black0%2.36%0%
Two or More Races2.57%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%