2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bareham
From a dwelling or farm clearing in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bareham. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bareham 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 Bareham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bareham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bareham, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bareham
The surname Bareham originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning bare and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting that the name may have referred to a settlement where the land was barren or cleared.
The earliest known record of the Bareham surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document mentions a William de Bareham, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.
During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the county of Norfolk, particularly in the villages of Bareham and Buxton. It is likely that the surname originated in one of these locations, which were once known by similar spellings such as Baram or Baraham.
In the 16th century, the Bareham family of Norfolk gained some prominence. John Bareham (1530-1598) was a notable landowner and member of the gentry class. His son, Thomas Bareham (1570-1642), was a Member of Parliament for Norfolk.
Another notable figure with the Bareham surname was Robert Bareham (1605-1670), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1663 until his death.
In the 18th century, William Bareham (1720-1785) was a respected clockmaker and instrument maker based in London. His clocks and scientific instruments were highly regarded by his contemporaries.
The Bareham name also has some literary connections. Thomas Bareham (1789-1859) was an English writer and poet who published several works, including "The Forest of Frithank" and "The Widow's Cottage."
While the Bareham surname may have originated in Norfolk, it eventually spread to other parts of England and even to other countries through emigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in the English countryside.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bareham
Among Census respondents with the surname Bareham, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bareham 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 Bareham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bareham
Bareham 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-13 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 11,849 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 Bareham 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 | #141,140 | #152,989 | -8.4% |
| Count | 118 | 105 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bareham bearers went from 118 to 105 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 11,849 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bareham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bareham?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bareham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bareham?
Bareham ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bareham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bareham.
Has Bareham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bareham went from 118 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bareham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bareham, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Bareham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bareham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Bareham (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 Bareham mean?
From a dwelling or farm clearing in Old English. 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 Bareham (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 many people have the surname Bareham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.