2000
#77,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Barbon
An Old French surname derived from "barbe", meaning "beard" or "uncle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 323 Americans carry the last name Barbon. That puts it at #73,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,061,159 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbon 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
323
1 in 1,061,159
Census rank
#73,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
282
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 282 bearers of the surname Barbon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.7%. The next largest groups are White (37.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbon
The surname Barbon is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "barbon," which means "bearded one" or "elderly man." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a prominent beard or of an advanced age.
The name is thought to have first appeared in the region of Normandy, where it was likely associated with a particular family or individual. As the name spread across France, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Barbonne, Barbounne, and Barbun.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Barbon can be found in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Louviers, a medieval cartulary from the 12th century, which mentions a person named Robertus Barbon.
Over the centuries, the name Barbon has been associated with several notable individuals. For instance, in the 14th century, there was a French nobleman named Jean Barbon who served as a councilor to King Charles V. Another prominent figure was Nicolas Barbon, a prominent English economist and builder who lived from 1640 to 1698 and is considered one of the pioneers of modern insurance practices.
In the literary realm, François Barbon (1630-1700) was a French writer and playwright known for his satirical works, while Antoine Barbon (1744-1824) was a French dramatist and poet who gained recognition for his tragedies and comedies.
Interestingly, the name Barbon also has connections to certain place names. In the 16th century, there was a village called Barbonne in the Ardennes region of France, which may have derived its name from the surname or contributed to its origin.
Throughout history, the Barbon surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, clergymen, and military personnel. While its exact origins remain somewhat obscured by time, the name's enduring presence serves as a testament to its historical significance and the diverse journeys of those who have borne it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbon
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.7%. The next largest groups are White (37.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbon 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 Barbon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino45.7% · 129
- White37.2% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.8% · 39
- Two or more races3.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbon
Barbon 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
#74,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 260
+30 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 3,097 places
2020
#73,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 282
+22 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 382 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #77,472 | 230 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #74,375 | 260 | 0.09 | +30 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 3,097 places |
| 2020 | #73,993 | 282 | 0.09 | +22 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 382 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 Barbon 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 | #74,375 | #73,993 | 0.5% |
| Count | 260 | 282 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbon bearers went from 260 to 282 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 382 positions in the national ranking, going from #74,375 to #73,993.
FAQ
Barbon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbon?
Name Census estimates that about 323 living Americans carry the surname Barbon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,061,159 residents.
How common is Barbon?
Barbon ranks #73,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 282 people with the surname Barbon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Barbon.
Has Barbon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbon went from 260 recorded bearers to 282. That is an increase of 22 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #74,375 to #73,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 45.7%. The next largest groups are White (37.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barbon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.7% (129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (45.7%), White (37.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.8%). 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 Barbon (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 Barbon mean?
An Old French surname derived from "barbe", meaning "beard" or "uncle". 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 Barbon (0.09 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 share the surname Barbon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.