2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Barerra
A Spanish surname referring to a person from an area with heavy clay soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 537 Americans carry the last name Barerra. That puts it at #48,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 638,276 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barerra 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
537
1 in 638,276
Census rank
#48,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
468
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 468 bearers of the surname Barerra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barerra
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During the 15th century, the name "BARERRA" appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts, such as the Libro de Familias Ilustres (Book of Illustrious Families), which recorded the lineages of noble families in Spain.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barerra
Among Census respondents with the surname Barerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Barerra 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 Barerra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.9% · 444
- White3.2% · 15
- Black or African American1.1% · 5
- Two or more races0.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barerra
Barerra 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
#73,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
+111 bearers (+71.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 33,472 places
2020
#48,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 468
+202 bearers (+75.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 24,293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,005 | 266 | 0.09 | +111 bearers (+71.6%) | Up 33,472 places |
| 2020 | #48,712 | 468 | 0.16 | +202 bearers (+75.9%) | Up 24,293 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 Barerra 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 | #73,005 | #48,712 | 33.3% |
| Count | 266 | 468 | 75.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.16 | 74.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barerra bearers went from 266 to 468 (+75.9% change). The surname moved up 24,293 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,005 to #48,712.
FAQ
Barerra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barerra?
Name Census estimates that about 537 living Americans carry the surname Barerra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 638,276 residents.
How common is Barerra?
Barerra ranks #48,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 468 people with the surname Barerra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Barerra.
Has Barerra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barerra went from 266 recorded bearers to 468. That is an increase of 202 (+75.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #73,005 to #48,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Barerra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barerra, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (1.1%). 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 Barerra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (444 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barerra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.9%), White (3.2%), Black (1.1%). 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 Barerra (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 Barerra mean?
A Spanish surname referring to a person from an area with heavy clay soil. 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 Barerra (0.16 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 common is the surname Barerra?
Find out how many people have the last name Barerra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.