2000
#3,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,565
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.55
Uncommon Last name
Barksdale
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "birch valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,042 Americans carry the last name Barksdale. That puts it at #3,603 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barksdale 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
11K
1 in 31,041
Census rank
#3,603
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,629 bearers of the surname Barksdale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3603rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barksdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barksdale
The surname Barksdale is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically a valley or dale where bark was harvested or processed. The name likely derives from a combination of the Old English words "barc" meaning "bark" and "dæl" meaning "valley" or "dale."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Barkesdale" in the county of Derbyshire, England. This entry suggests that the name was already established in the region during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.
During the medieval period, surnames derived from place names were common, particularly among those who migrated from rural areas to towns or cities. The Barksdale name may have been adopted by individuals who hailed from a specific locality associated with the processing or harvesting of bark.
In the 16th century, historical records show variations of the name, such as "Barksdale" and "Barkesdale," appearing in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. One notable early bearer of the name was Clement Barksdale (c. 1609-1687), an English writer and polemicist known for his support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, Sir Edward Barksdale (1617-1658) was a prominent English military commander who fought for the Royalist forces during the English Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Wilmslow in 1658.
Another notable figure with the Barksdale surname was Nathaniel Barksdale (1758-1834), an American planter and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
During the American Civil War, William Barksdale (1821-1863) was a Confederate general who fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was mortally wounded.
In the 20th century, Gerald W. Barksdale (1907-1989) was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, which was later renamed in his honor.
These examples illustrate the longstanding presence and historical significance of the Barksdale surname across various regions and time periods, often associated with notable individuals who made their mark in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barksdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Barksdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barksdale 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 Barksdale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.8% · 4,991
- White39.9% · 3,844
- Two or more races4.4% · 427
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 273
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barksdale
Barksdale 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
#3,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,294
+729 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 3.49
Rank movement Down 47 places
2020
#3,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,629
-665 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,425 | 9,565 | 3.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,472 | 10,294 | 3.49 | +729 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 47 places |
| 2020 | #3,603 | 9,629 | 3.22 | -665 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 131 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 Barksdale 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 | #3,472 | #3,603 | -3.8% |
| Count | 10,294 | 9,629 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.49 | 3.22 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barksdale bearers went from 10,294 to 9,629 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,472 to #3,603.
FAQ
Barksdale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barksdale?
Name Census estimates that about 11,042 living Americans carry the surname Barksdale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,041 residents.
How common is Barksdale?
Barksdale ranks #3,603 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,629 people with the surname Barksdale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,042), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Barksdale.
Has Barksdale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barksdale went from 10,294 recorded bearers to 9,629. That is a decrease of 665 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,472 to #3,603.
What does the Census say about the background of Barksdale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barksdale, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barksdale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.8% (4,991 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barksdale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.8%), White (39.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Barksdale (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 Barksdale mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "birch valley" 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 Barksdale (3.22 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 last name Barksdale?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Barksdale? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.