2000
#11,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Barbato
Derived from the Italian word "barbato," meaning "bearded," likely referring to an ancestor with a prominent beard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,752 Americans carry the last name Barbato. That puts it at #12,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,547 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbato surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barbato with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,547
Census rank
#12,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,400 bearers of the surname Barbato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbato
The surname Barbato has its origins in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "barbatus," which means "bearded" or "having a beard." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent beard.
One of the earliest known references to the name Barbato can be found in a document from the Republic of Venice, dated 1187. The document mentions a nobleman named Giacomo Barbato, who held a prominent position in the city's administration.
In the 13th century, the name Barbato appeared in several historical records from the southern Italian region of Campania. One notable individual was Pietro Barbato, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Avellino between 1240 and 1312.
The surname Barbato has also been linked to various place names throughout Italy. For instance, there is a town called Barbato in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, which may have contributed to the spread of the name in that region.
During the Renaissance period, the Barbato family gained prominence in the city of Naples. One of the most renowned members was Gian Bernardo Barbato (1518-1588), a renowned architect and sculptor who worked on several prestigious projects, including the Palazzo Reale in Naples.
Another notable figure with the surname Barbato was Carlo Barbato (1630-1698), an Italian painter and engraver from Naples. He was known for his religious and mythological works, and his paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
In the 19th century, Vincenzo Barbato (1812-1891) was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer from Campania. He served as a deputy in the Neapolitan parliament and played a significant role in the unification of Italy.
Moving into the 20th century, Enrico Barbato (1908-1993) was an Italian journalist and writer who gained recognition for his work as a war correspondent during World War II. He covered major events such as the Battle of Monte Cassino and the liberation of Rome.
Throughout history, the surname Barbato has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, architects, politicians, and intellectuals. While the name's origins can be traced back to Italy, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbato
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbato bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Barbato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 2,182
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 136
- Two or more races2.3% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbato
Barbato appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,437
-6 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 935 places
2020
#12,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,400
-37 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,745 | 2,443 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,680 | 2,437 | 0.83 | -6 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 935 places |
| 2020 | #12,360 | 2,400 | 0.80 | -37 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 320 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Barbato surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,680 | #12,360 | 2.5% |
| Count | 2,437 | 2,400 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.80 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbato bearers went from 2,437 to 2,400 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 320 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,680 to #12,360.
FAQ
Barbato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbato?
Name Census estimates that about 2,752 living Americans carry the surname Barbato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,547 residents.
How common is Barbato?
Barbato ranks #12,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,400 people with the surname Barbato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,752), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Barbato.
Has Barbato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbato went from 2,437 recorded bearers to 2,400. That is a decrease of 37 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,680 to #12,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barbato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (2,182 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Barbato (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Barbato mean?
Derived from the Italian word "barbato," meaning "bearded," likely referring to an ancestor with a prominent beard. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Barbato (0.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Barbato?
See how many people have the surname Barbato on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.