2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Barbus
A surname derived from the Latin word "barbatus" meaning "bearded".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Barbus. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbus 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Barbus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbus
The surname Barbus is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "barbe", meaning "beard". It is believed to have emerged as a nickname for someone who had a distinctive or impressive beard during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
Barbus was initially concentrated in northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It is closely related to the surnames Barbet and Barbut, which share the same linguistic root. Some early variations in spelling include Barbuz, Barboux, and Barbeu.
In medieval records, the name Barbus can be found in various forms. For instance, a certain Radulphus Barbus is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Barbus was Jean Barbus, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1318 to 1391. He was a prominent figure in the academic circles of Paris during the 14th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Nicolas Barbus, a French diplomat and ambassador to England, who was born in 1472 and died in 1537. He played a significant role in the negotiations between King Francis I of France and King Henry VIII of England.
In the 16th century, there was a famous French physician and botanist named Pierre Barbus, who lived from 1517 to 1590. He made important contributions to the study of plant life and wrote several influential works on the subject.
During the 17th century, a French military officer named Jacques Barbus (1619-1688) gained recognition for his service in the French army under King Louis XIV. He participated in various campaigns and battles during the Franco-Spanish War and the Dutch War.
Another individual of note was Marie-Anne Barbus (1726-1801), a French painter and engraver who was highly acclaimed for her portrait work and her skills in etching and engraving.
The surname Barbus has been associated with various places in France, such as the village of Barboux in the department of Isère, and the commune of Barbas in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. These place names likely share the same linguistic origins as the surname itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbus
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbus 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 Barbus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barbus
Barbus 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 1,100 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 Barbus 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 | #143,149 | #142,049 | 0.8% |
| Count | 116 | 120 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barbus bearers went from 116 to 120 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 1,100 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #142,049.
FAQ
Barbus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barbus?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Barbus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Barbus?
Barbus ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Barbus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Barbus.
Has Barbus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barbus went from 116 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Barbus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Barbus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barbus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Barbus (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 Barbus mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "barbatus" meaning "bearded". 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 Barbus (0.04 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 Barbus?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Barbus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.