Find out how popular the last name Barbour is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Barbour.

Barbour, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Barbour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barbour in America

Barbour is the 2504th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barbour surname appeared 14,451 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Barbour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barbour to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barbour

The surname Barbour originated in France and derives from the Old French word "barbour", meaning "barber". It is an occupational surname, indicating that the original bearer of the name was a barber by profession.

Barbour is believed to have first appeared in records in the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Barbator" in reference to a barber in the village of Winchelsea, Sussex.

In the 13th century, the surname was found in various forms such as Barbour, Barbor, and Barbator in records across England. It is likely that the name spread throughout the country as barbers traveled and settled in different regions.

One notable early bearer of the name was William Barbour, a 14th-century Scottish poet who wrote the epic narrative poem "The Brus" about the life of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He was born around 1320 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Another significant figure was John Barbour, a 15th-century Scottish prelate and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld and helped negotiate the release of King James I of Scotland from English captivity in 1424.

In the 16th century, the name Barbour was found in various place names across England, such as Barbour Town in Northumberland and Barbour Green in Suffolk, suggesting that members of the family had established themselves in these areas.

During the 17th century, the Barbour family was prominent in Virginia, USA. James Barbour, born in 1775, was a prominent lawyer, politician, and Governor of Virginia from 1812 to 1814.

In the 19th century, Joseph Barbour (1795-1856) was a Scottish lawyer and legal writer who published several works on Scottish law and contributed to the development of the legal system in Scotland.

Throughout history, the Barbour surname has been associated with various occupations, including barbers, lawyers, writers, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barbour

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Barbour.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barbour was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barbour has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Barbour was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Barbour, please contact us.

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