Find out how popular the last name Baran is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Baran.

Baran, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Baran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baran in America

Baran is the 5253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baran surname appeared 6,640 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Baran.

We can also compare 2010 data for Baran to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Baran

The surname Baran originated in Poland and has its roots in the Slavic languages. It is derived from the word "baran," which means "ram" or "male sheep." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, and was likely initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who worked with sheep or had a physical resemblance to a ram.

In its early history, the name Baran was commonly found in regions of Poland, such as Lesser Poland, Silesia, and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It also spread to neighboring countries like Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania, where it took on slightly different spellings like Baran or Baranas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Baran can be found in the Liber Beneficiorum, a 14th-century manuscript compiled by Jan Długosz, a Polish priest and historian. This document was a comprehensive record of church properties and their beneficiaries, including individuals with the surname Baran.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Baran. One example is Wincenty Baran (1889-1946), a Polish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of Public Security in the Polish government-in-exile during World War II. Another prominent figure is Stanisław Baran (1940-2014), a Polish writer and journalist known for his works on history and politics.

In the realm of sports, Władysław Baran (1910-1981) was a Polish footballer who played as a midfielder for several clubs, including Cracovia and Wisła Kraków, and represented the Polish national team in the 1930s. Mieczysław Baran (1901-1993) was a Polish athlete who competed in the long jump and triple jump events at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Moving to the arts, Stanisław Baran (1933-2014) was a Polish sculptor and academic, best known for his monumental public sculptures and works in bronze and stone. His sculptures can be found in various cities throughout Poland and other countries.

While the surname Baran has its roots in Poland and the Slavic languages, it has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities and ethnicities over time, further contributing to its diverse history and global presence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baran

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Baran.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Baran was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Baran has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Baran was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Baran, please contact us.

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