2000
#2,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.98
Uncommon Last name
Barbosa
A Portuguese and Spanish surname referring to someone with a beard or descendant of someone with a beard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,368 Americans carry the last name Barbosa. That puts it at #1,892 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbosa 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 Barbosa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,041
Census rank
#1,892
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,634 bearers of the surname Barbosa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1892nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbosa
The surname Barbosa has its origins in Portugal, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a place name. In this case, Barbosa is likely a reference to the town of Barbosa, located in the northern Portuguese district of Braga.
The name Barbosa is believed to have evolved from the Latin word "barbosus," which means "bearded." This suggests that the town of Barbosa may have been named after an early resident or landowner who had a prominent beard. Alternatively, the name could be a reference to the vegetation or landscape of the area, perhaps indicating a place with abundant shrubbery or thick undergrowth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Barbosa can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Barbosa, indicating that the name was already well-established in Portugal by this time.
Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals bearing the surname Barbosa. One of the most famous was Ângelo de Barbosa (1592-1649), a Portuguese Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to India and played a significant role in the early Christian missionary efforts in the region.
Another prominent figure was Duarte Barbosa (c. 1480-1521), a Portuguese writer and explorer who authored one of the earliest accounts of the Portuguese exploration of the East Indies. His work, "Livro em que dá relação do que viu e ouviu no Oriente" (Book in which the relation of what he saw and heard in the Orient is given), provided valuable insights into the cultures and civilizations of Asia during the early 16th century.
In the realm of literature, João Barbosa Rodrigues (1842-1909) was a notable Brazilian botanist and writer who made significant contributions to the study of Brazilian flora. His works, including "Sertum Palmarum Brasiliensium" (Collection of Brazilian Palms), are considered seminal texts in the field of botany.
The surname Barbosa has also been associated with notable figures in the arts. One example is João Barbosa Machado (1737-1809), a Portuguese painter and engraver who is renowned for his religious paintings and portraits.
Finally, in the field of sports, Rui Barbosa (1949-2003) was a prominent Portuguese footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Benfica and Sporting CP, and represented the Portuguese national team in the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cups.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbosa
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbosa 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 Barbosa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino59.9% · 11,169
- White27.8% · 5,183
- Black or African American7.9% · 1,472
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 482
- Two or more races1.5% · 280
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbosa
Barbosa 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
#1,992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,106
+4,673 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 6.14
Rank movement Up 470 places
2020
#1,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,634
+528 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 6.23
Rank movement Up 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,462 | 13,433 | 4.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,992 | 18,106 | 6.14 | +4,673 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 470 places |
| 2020 | #1,892 | 18,634 | 6.23 | +528 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 100 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 Barbosa 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 | #1,992 | #1,892 | 5.0% |
| Count | 18,106 | 18,634 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 6.14 | 6.23 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbosa bearers went from 18,106 to 18,634 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,992 to #1,892.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barbosa
FAQ
Barbosa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbosa?
Name Census estimates that about 21,368 living Americans carry the surname Barbosa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,041 residents.
How common is Barbosa?
Barbosa ranks #1,892 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,634 people with the surname Barbosa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,368), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Barbosa.
Has Barbosa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbosa went from 18,106 recorded bearers to 18,634. That is an increase of 528 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,992 to #1,892.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbosa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbosa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.8%) and Black (7.9%). 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 Barbosa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.9% (11,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbosa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (59.9%), White (27.8%), Black (7.9%). 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 Barbosa (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 Barbosa mean?
A Portuguese and Spanish surname referring to someone with a beard or descendant of 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 Barbosa (6.23 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 surname Barbosa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.