Bae
A surname that may be a short form or nickname in some traditions, but its origin is uncertain and may overlap with similar surnames like Bee or Beeby.
The #5,606 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,774 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical notes do not give a single secure derivation for Bae. One 19th-century source treats it as a nickname tied to a Scottish form meaning “the roe,” ultimately connected with Old English rǣ/ráh, while other mentions suggest it may belong among shortened or variant surname forms. Because the evidence is thin and the spelling is very brief, it is safest to treat the name as uncertain rather than force one explanation.
History
The surname appears rarely in English and American records, and the sources point to a small number of bearers in London and the United States. The same spelling is also mentioned alongside other short surname forms, which suggests it may sometimes be a reduced or altered variant rather than a long-established independent family name. There is no strong evidence here for a single well-defined origin family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Bae is so short, older surname dictionaries often discuss it only as a variant or near-variant of other names rather than as a standalone entry.
From the historical record
“London,!; Bonon(U.S.), 4. Beebe, Baeby, B«&b;, Bae- bae.— Local, 'of Beeby,' a village six miles from Leicester ; v. Bibby.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instancesNotable people named Bae
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.