2000
#9,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Barbera
An Italian occupational surname referring to a barber or one who shaves and cuts hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,448 Americans carry the last name Barbera. That puts it at #10,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbera 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.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,407
Census rank
#10,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,007 bearers of the surname Barbera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbera
The surname Barbera originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian word "barba," meaning "beard," and likely referred to someone with a prominent beard or an ancestor with a distinguished beard.
The name Barbera can be traced back to the 12th century, with early records mentioning individuals bearing this surname in various Italian regions. One notable historical reference is found in the Sicilian Vespers, a rebellion against the French occupation in 1282, where several individuals named Barbera were mentioned as participants.
In the 14th century, the Barbera family was recorded in the city of Palermo, Sicily, where they held significant influence and power. Girolamo Barbera (1345-1421), a prominent merchant and landowner, was a notable member of this family during that time.
The name Barbera also appeared in the town of Castelbuono, located in the Madonie Mountains of Sicily, where the Barbera family owned vast lands and estates. Tommaso Barbera (1520-1587), a wealthy nobleman and patron of the arts, was a prominent figure in Castelbuono during the Renaissance period.
As the surname spread throughout Italy, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Barbieri, Barbaro, and Barbieri. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barbera spelling is found in a document from the city of Reggio Calabria, dated 1487, mentioning a certain Antonello Barbera.
In the 16th century, the Barbera family gained prominence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in the silk trade. Gaspare Barbera (1567-1632), a successful silk merchant, was a notable figure in Neapolitan society during that period.
Another notable individual with the surname Barbera was Francesco Barbera (1718-1791), a renowned architect from Palermo, Sicily. He designed several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of San Domenico and the Palazzo Valguarnera.
Throughout the centuries, the Barbera surname has been associated with various professions, from merchants and landowners to artists and intellectuals. Individuals with this surname have left their mark on Italian history and culture, and the name continues to be widespread in Italy, particularly in the southern regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbera
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbera 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 Barbera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 2,588
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 292
- Two or more races2.4% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 31
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbera
Barbera 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
#8,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,696
+497 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 487 places
2020
#10,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,007
-689 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 1,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,348 | 3,199 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,861 | 3,696 | 1.25 | +497 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 487 places |
| 2020 | #10,197 | 3,007 | 1.01 | -689 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 1,336 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 Barbera 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 | #8,861 | #10,197 | -15.1% |
| Count | 3,696 | 3,007 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.01 | -19.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbera bearers went from 3,696 to 3,007 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 1,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,861 to #10,197.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barbera
FAQ
Barbera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbera?
Name Census estimates that about 3,448 living Americans carry the surname Barbera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,407 residents.
How common is Barbera?
Barbera ranks #10,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,007 people with the surname Barbera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Barbera.
Has Barbera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbera went from 3,696 recorded bearers to 3,007. That is a decrease of 689 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,861 to #10,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbera, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Barbera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (2,588 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (9.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Barbera (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 Barbera mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a barber or one who shaves and cuts hair. 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 Barbera (1.01 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 common is the surname Barbera?
Find out how many people are called Barbera on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.