2000
#7,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Barefoot
A descriptive surname referring to an ancestor who often went without shoes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,547 Americans carry the last name Barefoot. That puts it at #8,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barefoot 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 Barefoot with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,380
Census rank
#8,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,965 bearers of the surname Barefoot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barefoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barefoot
The surname Barefoot has its origins in medieval England, emerging in the 13th century as a descriptive nickname derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning bare and "fot" meaning foot. It was likely given to individuals who habitually went without shoes or footwear, either due to poverty or as a sign of religious devotion or penance.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Barefoot is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document a John Barefot residing in Cambridgeshire. The surname also appears in various other medieval records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which list a Johannes Barefote.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name continued to spread across different regions of England, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Barfot, Barfoot, and Barefut. These variations were primarily influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the 16th century, the surname Barefoot gained prominence with the rise of Walter Barefoot, a renowned English theologian and Archbishop of York from 1508 to 1513. Barefoot played a significant role in the ecclesiastical affairs of his time and was deeply involved in the political and religious turmoil surrounding the English Reformation.
Another notable figure bearing the Barefoot surname was Clement Barefoot, an English clergyman and author born in 1592. He served as the rector of St. Olave's Church in London and published several works, including "The Noble Prentice" and "The Godly and Costly Feast."
In the 17th century, the surname Barefoot was found in various parts of England, including Essex, where a family of that name owned land in the village of Great Wigborough. Thomas Barefoot, born in 1620, was a prominent member of this Essex family and served as a justice of the peace.
Moving into the 18th century, the Barefoot surname gained further recognition with the exploits of John Barefoot, an English privateer and naval officer who played a crucial role in the War of the Austrian Succession. Born in 1716, Barefoot commanded several ships and engaged in daring actions against enemy vessels, earning him a reputation for bravery and skill.
Another individual of note was William Barefoot, a British artist and engraver born in 1773. Barefoot was renowned for his intricate engravings and worked on several notable projects, including illustrations for Samuel Richardson's novel "Clarissa."
Throughout its long history, the surname Barefoot has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, from clergymen and authors to naval officers and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this evocative name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barefoot
Among Census respondents with the surname Barefoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Barefoot 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 Barefoot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,638
- Two or more races4.0% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 48
- Black or African American1.0% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barefoot
Barefoot 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
#7,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,190
+6 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 566 places
2020
#8,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,965
-225 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,334 | 4,184 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,900 | 4,190 | 1.42 | +6 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 566 places |
| 2020 | #8,014 | 3,965 | 1.33 | -225 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 114 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 Barefoot 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 | #7,900 | #8,014 | -1.4% |
| Count | 4,190 | 3,965 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.33 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barefoot bearers went from 4,190 to 3,965 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,900 to #8,014.
FAQ
Barefoot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barefoot?
Name Census estimates that about 4,547 living Americans carry the surname Barefoot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,380 residents.
How common is Barefoot?
Barefoot ranks #8,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,965 people with the surname Barefoot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,547), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Barefoot.
Has Barefoot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barefoot went from 4,190 recorded bearers to 3,965. That is a decrease of 225 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,900 to #8,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Barefoot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barefoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Barefoot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,638 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barefoot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Barefoot (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 Barefoot mean?
A descriptive surname referring to an ancestor who often went without shoes. 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 Barefoot (1.33 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 have the surname Barefoot?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.