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

Barnard, 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 Barnard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barnard in America

Barnard is the 1760th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barnard surname appeared 20,366 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Barnard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barnard 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 Barnard

The surname Barnard originated from the Anglo-Norman French personal name Barnard, which was derived from the Old German names Bernhard and Bernard. These names were composed of the elements bern, meaning "bear," and hard, meaning "hardy" or "brave." The name Barnard thus signified "brave as a bear."

The Barnard surname first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed to have been introduced by Norman settlers who arrived with William the Conqueror. The name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barnard surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Robertus Barnard is mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1199, referring to a Robert Barnard.

In the 13th century, the surname was found in various forms, such as Barnarde, Barnerd, and Barnerde, reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions. The place name Barnard Castle in County Durham, England, which dates back to the 12th century, is believed to have been named after a person with the surname Barnard.

Notable individuals with the surname Barnard include:

1. John Barnard (c. 1685-1770), an American politician and farmer who served as the colonial governor of Massachusetts Bay Province.
2. Anne Barnard (1750-1825), a British writer and travel author known for her works on the Middle East.
3. Frederick Barnard (1846-1896), an English illustrator famous for his illustrations in Charles Dickens' novels.
4. Edward Emerson Barnard (1857-1923), an American astronomer who discovered several comets and was the first to observe the Barnard's Star.
5. Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001), a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first successful human-to-human heart transplant in 1967.

The Barnard surname has a rich history, originating from the Anglo-Norman French personal name and evolving over centuries in England and other parts of the world. It has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, reflecting its enduring presence throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barnard

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

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

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

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