2000
#50,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Barbetta
A surname derived from an Italian nickname for someone with a beard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 391 Americans carry the last name Barbetta. That puts it at #63,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 876,610 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbetta 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
391
1 in 876,610
Census rank
#63,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
341
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 341 bearers of the surname Barbetta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 63263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbetta
The surname Barbetta originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "barbetta," which means "little beard." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a small beard or facial hair.
The earliest known record of the Barbetta surname dates back to the 13th century in the Tuscany region of Italy. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Giovanni Barbetta, a merchant from Florence who was born around 1270.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records and documents, such as tax rolls and municipal records. For instance, a certain Matteo Barbetta was listed as a landowner in the town of Siena in 1342.
During the Renaissance period, the Barbetta family gained prominence in the city of Venice. Niccolò Barbetta (1420-1492) was a renowned Venetian architect who designed several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of Santa Maria Formosa.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Barbetta (1547-1609), a Venetian philosopher and writer who authored several works on logic and metaphysics. He was a professor at the University of Padua and is considered one of the leading Aristotelian scholars of his time.
In the 17th century, the Barbetta name spread to other parts of Italy and Europe. Pietro Barbetta (1628-1703) was an Italian painter from the town of Treviso, known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
Vincenzo Barbetta (1772-1846) was an Italian composer and violinist who lived during the Classical period. He wrote several operas and violin concertos and served as the court musician for the Duke of Modena.
Another notable figure was Carlo Barbetta (1860-1925), an Italian engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Italian steel industry. He founded the Società Nazionale delle Officine di Savigliano, one of the largest steel companies in Italy at the time.
While the Barbetta surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Italy, where it likely began as a nickname related to a person's physical appearance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbetta
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbetta 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 Barbetta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 306
- Two or more races4.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbetta
Barbetta 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
#59,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 339
-48 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 8,917 places
2020
#63,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 341
+2 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 3,660 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,686 | 387 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #59,603 | 339 | 0.11 | -48 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 8,917 places |
| 2020 | #63,263 | 341 | 0.11 | +2 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 3,660 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 Barbetta 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 | #59,603 | #63,263 | -6.1% |
| Count | 339 | 341 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbetta bearers went from 339 to 341 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 3,660 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,603 to #63,263.
FAQ
Barbetta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbetta?
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the surname Barbetta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 876,610 residents.
How common is Barbetta?
Barbetta ranks #63,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 341 people with the surname Barbetta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (391), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Barbetta.
Has Barbetta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbetta went from 339 recorded bearers to 341. That is an increase of 2 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #59,603 to #63,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbetta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Barbetta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (306 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbetta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Barbetta (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 Barbetta mean?
A surname derived from an Italian nickname for someone with a 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 Barbetta (0.11 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 have the last name Barbetta?
Want to know how common the surname Barbetta is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.