The Bayer surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,544 people carried this name — #3,389 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,000 people counted. That is up 14% from 9,246 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Bayer surname
Borrowed from German Bayer. The surname is converged from both Bavaria and Middle High German beieren (“to ring a bell”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bayer» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 787 people named Bayer.
47 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 65 départements, most often Moselle.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 683 people named Bayer live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
438 people named Bayer live in Switzerland.
They live in 18 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
244 people named Bayer have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 378 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 12 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 56 people named Bayer live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
124 people named Bayer are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Bayer in American newspapers,
1919–1924.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,731,340 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Bayer,
with a public archive behind them.
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Martin Bayer d. 1634 · donor
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Theodore Bayer d. 1959 · spy
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Anton Bayer d. 1855 · composer
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Johann Bayer d. 1686
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Christoph Philipp Bayer d. 1713
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Martin Bayer d. 1634
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Bayer.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Bayer is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.