2000
#376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 28.36
Uncommon Last name
Barber
An occupational surname referring to someone who cuts hair, trims beards, and performs grooming services.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 86,189 Americans carry the last name Barber. That puts it at #430 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 25.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barber 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 Barber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
86K
1 in 3,977
Census rank
#430
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
25.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
75K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 75,161 bearers of the surname Barber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 25.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 430th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barber, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barber
The surname Barber originated in England, deriving from the Old French word 'barbour', meaning a barber or one who trims beards. The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century, following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
One of the earliest known references to the name Barber can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded those holding lands and revenues in England. The rolls mention a John le Barbur in Oxfordshire. The surname also appears in the Calendarium Genealogicum, a chronicle of English noble families compiled in the late 13th century.
The Barber surname has its roots in the occupation of a barber, traditionally a respected trade in medieval times. Barbers not only trimmed hair and beards but also performed minor surgical procedures such as bloodletting and tooth extractions. The name was often associated with skilled craftsmen and tradespeople in towns and cities.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, including Barbour, Barbur, and Barbor. One notable individual from this period was John Barbour (c. 1320-1395), a Scottish poet and the author of the historical narrative poem "The Brus", which recounts the life of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.
During the Tudor period (1485-1603), the Barber surname was well-established in England. An example is Richard Barber (c. 1510-1567), who served as the first Groom of the Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Barber (c. 1600-1667), an English clergyman and one of the first settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 17th century, the name Barber also gained prominence in Ireland, where it was often anglicized from the Irish surname Ó Báirbre or Ó Báirr. One significant individual from this period was Ambrose Barber (c. 1585-1641), a celebrated Irish scholar and philosopher.
As the Barber surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it continued to be associated with various professions and achievements. For instance, Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was an American composer known for his works such as the Adagio for Strings and the opera Vanessa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barber
Among Census respondents with the surname Barber, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barber 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 Barber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.6% · 54,530
- Black or African American17.9% · 13,478
- Two or more races4.4% · 3,301
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 2,564
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 707
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 581
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barber
Barber 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
#406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 78,848
+2,344 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 26.73
Rank movement Down 30 places
2020
#430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 75,161
-3,687 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 25.15
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #376 | 76,504 | 28.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #406 | 78,848 | 26.73 | +2,344 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 30 places |
| 2020 | #430 | 75,161 | 25.15 | -3,687 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 24 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 Barber 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 | #406 | #430 | -5.9% |
| Count | 78,848 | 75,161 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 26.73 | 25.15 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barber bearers went from 78,848 to 75,161 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #406 to #430.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barber
FAQ
Barber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barber?
Name Census estimates that about 86,189 living Americans carry the surname Barber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,977 residents.
How common is Barber?
Barber ranks #430 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 25.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 25 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 75,161 people with the surname Barber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (86,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 25.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 25.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 25 of them to have the surname Barber.
Has Barber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barber went from 78,848 recorded bearers to 75,161. That is a decrease of 3,687 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #406 to #430.
What does the Census say about the background of Barber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barber, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Barber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (54,530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.6%), Black (17.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Barber (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 Barber mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who cuts hair, trims beards, and performs grooming services. 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 Barber (25.15 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 Americans have the surname Barber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.