2000
#6,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Barner
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "barn," meaning "child" or "descendant," likely referring to a childminder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,760 Americans carry the last name Barner. That puts it at #6,497 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,506 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barner 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 Barner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,506
Census rank
#6,497
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,023 bearers of the surname Barner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6497th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barner, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barner
The surname Barner has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "barn," which means "child" or "son." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for a child or a young man.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barner can be found in the records of the town of Bamberg in Bavaria, Germany, where a certain Heinricus Barner was mentioned in a document from 1234. This document is preserved in the town's archives and provides valuable insight into the early use of the surname.
Another historical reference to the name Barner can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the history of Brandenburg, Germany. This collection includes a record from 1298 that mentions a certain Johannes Barner, who was a landowner in the region.
Over the centuries, the name Barner has undergone various spelling variations, including Berner, Börner, and Bärner, reflecting regional dialects and changes in language over time.
One notable individual with the surname Barner was Johann Barner, a German composer and organist who lived from 1670 to 1735. He was a renowned figure in the Baroque era and is known for his contributions to church music.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Barner, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1792 to 1870. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is remembered for his work on the theory of cometary orbits.
In the realm of literature, the name Barner is associated with the German writer and philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814), whose birth name was Johann Gottlieb Barner. He is considered one of the founding figures of German idealism and is renowned for his philosophical works.
The surname Barner also has connections to the world of art. One example is the German painter and printmaker Johann Friedrich Barner (1639-1700), who was known for his landscapes and architectural scenes.
Finally, a more recent figure with the surname Barner was the German actor and director Tilo Barner (1919-2005), who had a successful career in both film and television.
While the surname Barner may not be as widespread as some others, its long history and presence across various fields demonstrate its enduring legacy and significance within German culture and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barner
Among Census respondents with the surname Barner, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Barner 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 Barner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.5% · 2,687
- Black or African American38.4% · 1,928
- Two or more races4.7% · 234
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barner
Barner 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
#5,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,827
+650 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Up 195 places
2020
#6,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,023
-804 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 584 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,108 | 5,177 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,913 | 5,827 | 1.98 | +650 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 195 places |
| 2020 | #6,497 | 5,023 | 1.68 | -804 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 584 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 Barner 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 | #5,913 | #6,497 | -9.9% |
| Count | 5,827 | 5,023 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.98 | 1.68 | -15.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barner bearers went from 5,827 to 5,023 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 584 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,913 to #6,497.
FAQ
Barner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barner?
Name Census estimates that about 5,760 living Americans carry the surname Barner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,506 residents.
How common is Barner?
Barner ranks #6,497 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,023 people with the surname Barner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,760), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Barner.
Has Barner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barner went from 5,827 recorded bearers to 5,023. That is a decrease of 804 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,913 to #6,497.
What does the Census say about the background of Barner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barner, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Barner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.5% (2,687 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.5%), Black (38.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Barner (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 Barner mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "barn," meaning "child" or "descendant," likely referring to a childminder. 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 Barner (1.68 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 Americans have the surname Barner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.