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

Barcena, 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 Barcena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barcena in America

Barcena is the 23100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barcena surname appeared 1,105 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barcena.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barcena 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 Barcena

The surname Barcena has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely deriving from the Basque word "barna," meaning "valley," combined with the suffix "-cena," implying a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barcena name can be found in the 13th century, when a nobleman named Pedro de Barcena was mentioned in a document from the Kingdom of Castile. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a prominent surname by that time.

During the 15th century, the Barcena family gained prominence in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria, where they held land and estates. Historical records from this period mention a Juan de Barcena, a respected landowner and local official.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, indicating that members of the Barcena family had ventured across the Atlantic during the early stages of Spanish colonization. One notable individual was Diego de Barcena, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.

As the centuries progressed, the Barcena surname spread across Spain and its territories, with notable individuals emerging in different fields. In the 18th century, Manuel de Barcena (1713-1791) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Madrid and surrounding areas.

In the 19th century, Mariano Barcena (1824-1888) was a respected Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat. He served as Mexico's ambassador to the United States and played a significant role in promoting Mexican literature abroad.

Another notable figure was José María Barcena (1825-1908), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as a general during the Carlist Wars and later held various government positions, including Minister of War.

Throughout history, the Barcena surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, from military service and politics to literature and architecture. While its exact origins remain somewhat uncertain, the name's enduring presence across centuries and continents is a testament to its rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barcena

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

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 Barcena 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 Barcena 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 Barcena was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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