2000
#17,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Barcelo
A Catalan habitational surname referring to someone from Barcelona, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,188 Americans carry the last name Barcelo. That puts it at #14,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barcelo 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
2.2K
1 in 156,652
Census rank
#14,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,908 bearers of the surname Barcelo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barcelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barcelo
The surname Barcelo originated in the Catalonia region of Spain, particularly in the city of Barcelona and its surrounding areas. The name dates back to the Middle Ages and is derived from the Latin word "Barcilona," which later evolved into the Spanish "Barcelona."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barcelo can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a historical document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after its conquest by the Crown of Aragon. This document mentions individuals with the surname Barcelo who received land grants in the newly conquered territories.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Barcelo family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of Catalonia. Notable figures from this period include Ramon Barcelo (1325-1395), a prominent merchant and diplomat who served as the consul of the Catalan merchants in Alexandria, Egypt.
In the 16th century, the Barcelo family expanded their influence beyond Catalonia, with members settling in other parts of Spain and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure from this time was Jaume Barcelo (1510-1585), a navigator and explorer who accompanied Juan Ponce de León on his expeditions to Florida.
The 17th century saw the rise of Juan Barcelo (1628-1702), a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Madrid, including the Royal Palace of Madrid.
As the Spanish Empire continued to expand, the Barcelo surname spread to various parts of the world. In the 18th century, Pedro Barcelo (1715-1789) was a prominent military officer who served in the Spanish colonies in the Americas and participated in the defense of Havana, Cuba, during the Seven Years' War.
In the 19th century, the Barcelo family produced several notable figures in the arts and literature. Mariano Barcelo (1819-1900) was a celebrated painter whose works were exhibited in major galleries across Europe, while Tomás Barcelo (1835-1912) was a renowned novelist and playwright who helped popularize the Catalan language and culture.
Throughout its long history, the surname Barcelo has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, explorers, architects, and military officers. The name's origins can be traced back to the medieval city of Barcelona and its evolution reflects the rich cultural heritage of Catalonia and Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barcelo
Among Census respondents with the surname Barcelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barcelo 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 Barcelo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.8% · 1,560
- White13.0% · 248
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 64
- Two or more races1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barcelo
Barcelo 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
#15,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,940
+436 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 2,140 places
2020
#14,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,908
-32 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,323 | 1,504 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,183 | 1,940 | 0.66 | +436 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 2,140 places |
| 2020 | #14,899 | 1,908 | 0.64 | -32 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 284 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 Barcelo 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 | #15,183 | #14,899 | 1.9% |
| Count | 1,940 | 1,908 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.64 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barcelo bearers went from 1,940 to 1,908 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,183 to #14,899.
FAQ
Barcelo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barcelo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,188 living Americans carry the surname Barcelo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,652 residents.
How common is Barcelo?
Barcelo ranks #14,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,908 people with the surname Barcelo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Barcelo.
Has Barcelo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barcelo went from 1,940 recorded bearers to 1,908. That is a decrease of 32 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,183 to #14,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Barcelo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barcelo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barcelo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barcelo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.8%), White (13.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Barcelo (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 Barcelo mean?
A Catalan habitational surname referring to someone from Barcelona, Spain. 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 Barcelo (0.64 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 Barcelo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.