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

Barker, 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 Barker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barker in America

Barker is the 360th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barker surname appeared 87,162 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 30 people would have the surname Barker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barker 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 Barker

The surname Barker has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "barkere," meaning a person who stripped and prepared bark for use in tanning leather.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barkere" in various counties across England, including Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in different regions of the country by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "le Barkere" and "Barkare," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. These spellings were often influenced by the local dialects and scribes' interpretations.

One notable example from history is William Barker (c. 1365-1423), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1416. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in negotiations with the King during the tumultuous period of the Hundred Years' War.

Another prominent figure was Christopher Barker (c. 1529-1599), an English printer and publisher who held the prestigious position of Queen's Printer under Elizabeth I. He was responsible for printing some of the most important works of the time, including translations of the Bible.

In the 17th century, the Barker surname was well-represented in various parts of England. One notable example is Robert Barker (1580-1645), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Dean of Arches, a prestigious ecclesiastical court position.

During the 18th century, the name continued to be widely distributed across England. One notable figure from this period was Matthew Barker (1619-1698), an English physician and writer who published influential works on natural philosophy and medical topics.

In the 19th century, the Barker surname gained global recognition with the exploits of Sir Robert Barker (1789-1854), an English painter and inventor who patented the first modern panoramic painting technique, known as the "Panorama."

These examples illustrate the widespread presence and historical significance of the Barker surname, which has its roots in the occupational traditions of medieval England and has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, printers, clergymen, physicians, and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barker

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

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

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

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