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

Barka, 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 Barka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barka in America

Barka is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barka surname appeared 176 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 Barka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barka 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 Barka

The surname BARKA has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic-speaking regions. It is believed to have emerged during the 7th century AD, around the time of the Islamic conquests and the subsequent spread of the Arabic language and culture.

BARKA is derived from the Arabic word "baraka," which means "blessing" or "divine grace." It was likely used as a descriptive name or a nickname for individuals who were considered blessed or fortunate. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and records from regions like Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname BARKA was Abu Bakr al-Barka, a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian who lived in the 9th century AD. He was born in Baghdad and made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.

Another notable figure was Al-Barka al-Maliki, a Maliki scholar and jurist from the 12th century AD. He was born in Fez, Morocco, and authored several works on Islamic law and theology.

In the 13th century, there was a prominent family known as the Banu Barka (or Banu Barka) who ruled over parts of present-day Morocco and Algeria. They played a significant role in the political and cultural landscape of the region during that time.

The name BARKA also appears in various place names throughout the Middle East and North Africa, such as Barka, a town in eastern Libya, and Barka, a village in Sudan. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa.

In more recent history, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname BARKA was Hafiz Ibrahim Barka, a Sudanese writer, poet, and political activist who lived from 1876 to 1949. He was a prominent figure in the Sudanese literary and nationalist movements during the early 20th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname BARKA include Saleh Barka, a Moroccan politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Morocco from 1963 to 1964, and Mohamed Barka, a Moroccan physicist and dissident who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1965.

While the surname BARKA is most commonly associated with Arabic-speaking regions, it has also been adopted by individuals of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds over the centuries, particularly in areas where Arabic influence has been strong.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barka

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

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

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

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