# Backus (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/backus/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Middle English.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 7,064 |
| US rank (2010) | 4,974 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 43,707 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.5% (6,822 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbækəs/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Bacus |

## Etymology

Inherited from Middle English bakhous (“bakery”), from Old English bæchūs.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Backus in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 87% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 8.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Backus in the United States.

## People named Backus

- John Backus, American computer scientist (1924–2007)
- Jim Backus, American radio, television, film, and voice actor (1913–1989)
- Christopher Backus, American actor
- Georgia Backus, American actress (1900-1983)
- Gus Backus, American singer and actor

## Similar surnames

Backes, Bakos, Baugus, Bacchus, Baccus, Backhaus, Boggess, Bukowski, Basquez, Busick, Biswas, Bosquez.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.