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

Barrera, 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 Barrera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barrera in America

Barrera is the 73005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barrera surname appeared 266 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 Barrera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barrera 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 Barrera

The surname "BARERRA" is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "barrera," which means "barrier" or "fence." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a barrier or fence, or perhaps someone who worked as a gatekeeper or guard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BARERRA" can be found in the Catalan region of Spain, specifically in the town of Barreres, which is located in the province of Barcelona. This place name is thought to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

In the 13th century, there are records of a nobleman named Juan de Barrera who owned land and property in the region of Aragon, located in northeastern Spain. He is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals to bear this surname.

During the 15th century, the name "BARERRA" appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts, such as the Libro de Familias Ilustres (Book of Illustrious Families), which recorded the lineages of noble families in Spain.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals with the surname "BARERRA" have made their mark in various fields. One such person was Pedro Barrera (1548-1605), a Spanish playwright and poet who was renowned for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age of literature.

Another prominent figure was María Barrera (1777-1849), a Spanish painter and portraitist who was celebrated for her realistic depictions of everyday life and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects.

In the 19th century, José Barrera (1829-1892) was a renowned Spanish military officer and politician who played a significant role in the Third Carlist War, a conflict over the succession to the Spanish throne.

The name "BARRERA" also gained recognition in the field of science with the work of Tomás Barrera (1870-1938), a Spanish mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the study of calculus and differential equations.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the accomplishments of Arturo Barrera (1914-1997), a Mexican artist and muralist who was part of the renowned Mexican Muralism movement, known for his vibrant and politically charged murals that depicted the struggles and triumphs of the Mexican people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barrera

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

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

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

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