2000
#6,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,562
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.69
Rare Last name
Barley
An English occupational surname referring to a barley grower, seller, or someone who lived near a barley field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,898 Americans carry the last name Barley. That puts it at #7,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,978 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,978
Census rank
#7,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,271 bearers of the surname Barley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barley
The surname Barley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "bærlīc," which means "a barley field." The name first emerged in the 12th century, primarily in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where barley was a significant crop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a person named Ralph de Berleye. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains references to places like "Bærlea" and "Berlai," which may have influenced the development of the surname.
The Barley surname is closely associated with several places in England, including Barley in Hertfordshire, Barley in Derbyshire, and Barley in Yorkshire. These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in those regions.
Notable individuals with the surname Barley throughout history include:
1. Sir Alexander Barley (1565-1638), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London in 1624.
2. William Barley (1603-1677), an English nonconformist minister and religious writer who was ejected from his living during the English Restoration.
3. John Barley (1675-1753), an English mathematician and writer, known for his work on algebra and navigation.
4. Thomas Barley (1728-1789), an English painter and engraver, best known for his portraits and historical scenes.
5. Harriet Barley (1818-1892), an English author and novelist who wrote under the pen name "Holme Lee."
The Barley surname has a rich history rooted in the agricultural traditions of England, particularly in the northern counties where barley was a prominent crop. The name's origins can be traced back to the Old English language, and it has been associated with various places and notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barley
Among Census respondents with the surname Barley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Barley 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 Barley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.4% · 3,051
- Black or African American19.2% · 821
- Two or more races4.0% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barley
Barley 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
#7,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,744
+182 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 248 places
2020
#7,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,271
-473 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 465 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,806 | 4,562 | 1.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,054 | 4,744 | 1.61 | +182 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 248 places |
| 2020 | #7,519 | 4,271 | 1.43 | -473 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 465 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 Barley 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 | #7,054 | #7,519 | -6.6% |
| Count | 4,744 | 4,271 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.43 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barley bearers went from 4,744 to 4,271 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 465 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,054 to #7,519.
FAQ
Barley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,898 living Americans carry the surname Barley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,978 residents.
How common is Barley?
Barley ranks #7,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,271 people with the surname Barley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,898), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Barley.
Has Barley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barley went from 4,744 recorded bearers to 4,271. That is a decrease of 473 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,054 to #7,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Barley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.4% (3,051 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.4%), Black (19.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Barley (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 Barley mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a barley grower, seller, or someone who lived near a barley field. 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 Barley (1.43 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 Barley?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Barley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.