Given name & surname · also German
Bauer
“farmer”
Bauer is a surname from German (ultimately Old High German). It is used in English, French, German, Czech, and 2 other languages.
Original GermanBauermann
Meaning & origin
What it means
Bauer goes back to German Bauer, meaning “farmer.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
Bauer comes from German, and ultimately from Old High German.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From German Bauer (“farmer”), from Old High German bur (“dwelling”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1996. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Bauer through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 875
- 869 boys · 6 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 62 babies
- 2025
- 54
- #2,486 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 54 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,486 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 62 in 2019. In 2025, Iowa and Minnesota shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 637 as a first name in 2020; 62,667 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Bauer’s family of names
In German usage, Bauer as a surname has a related form in AGRICOLA. In German usage, Bauer as a surname has a related form in Baierle. In German usage, Bauer as a surname has a related form in Bauermann.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Bauer, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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