2000
#82,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 213
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Barby
A locational surname derived from a place named Barby in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 234 Americans carry the last name Barby. That puts it at #95,802 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,464,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barby 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 Barby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
234
1 in 1,464,762
Census rank
#95,802
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
204
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 204 bearers of the surname Barby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95802nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barby, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barby
The surname "Barby" is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the late 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "byrig," meaning a fortified town or a borough, which evolved into the place name "Barby" in Northamptonshire, England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Barby" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as "Barnebi." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of land and population in England during the Norman era.
During the Middle Ages, the Barby family was associated with the village of Barby in Northamptonshire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Barby, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the French in the 14th century.
As the centuries passed, the Barby surname spread across various regions of England. In the 16th century, records show a William Barby who was a respected merchant in the city of London.
In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Barby (1638-1694), a renowned English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Carlisle and published several theological works.
Another notable figure was Sir John Barby (1718-1789), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Calne in Wiltshire during the latter half of the 18th century.
The 19th century saw the emergence of George Barby (1807-1891), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including churches and country houses, across the country.
As the name spread beyond England's borders, it was also adopted by families in other parts of the world, such as Australia and the United States, where descendants of the Barby lineage can still be found today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barby
Among Census respondents with the surname Barby, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barby 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 Barby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 160
- Black or African American5.4% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 11
- Two or more races5.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barby
Barby 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
#92,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
-15 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 10,375 places
2020
#95,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+6 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,083 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,344 | 213 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #92,719 | 198 | 0.07 | -15 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,375 places |
| 2020 | #95,802 | 204 | 0.07 | +6 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 3,083 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 Barby 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 | #92,719 | #95,802 | -3.3% |
| Count | 198 | 204 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barby bearers went from 198 to 204 (+3.0% change). The surname moved down 3,083 positions in the national ranking, going from #92,719 to #95,802.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barby
FAQ
Barby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barby?
Name Census estimates that about 234 living Americans carry the surname Barby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,464,762 residents.
How common is Barby?
Barby ranks #95,802 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 204 people with the surname Barby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Barby.
Has Barby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barby went from 198 recorded bearers to 204. That is an increase of 6 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #92,719 to #95,802.
What does the Census say about the background of Barby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barby, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Barby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Black (5.4%), Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Barby (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 Barby mean?
A locational surname derived from a place named Barby in England. 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 Barby (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Barby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.