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

Barnett, 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 Barnett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barnett in America

Barnett is the 324th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barnett surname appeared 95,681 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 32 people would have the surname Barnett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barnett 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 Barnett

The surname Barnett has its origins in medieval England, derived from the personal name Barnett, a diminutive of the name Barnard, which was a popular name during the Middle Ages. The name Barnard itself is believed to have come from the Germanic name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bera" meaning bear and "hard" meaning brave or hardy.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Barnett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barnard." This suggests that the surname was already in use in England during the 11th century, likely among those of Norman descent.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Barnett began to appear in various records and documents across England, particularly in areas such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. The name was often spelled in different ways, including Barnett, Barnet, Barnitt, and Barnette, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.

One notable figure bearing the surname Barnett was John Barnett, a merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of London in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1598). Another was Richard Barnett, an English Jesuit priest who was executed for his faith during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1597.

In the 17th century, the Barnett surname was associated with several prominent individuals, including John Barnett (1615-1685), an English mathematician and astronomer, and Samuel Barnett (1644-1723), a Church of England clergyman and author.

The 18th century saw the rise of Sir John Barnett (1714-1804), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was Richard Barnett (1760-1827), an English musician and composer best known for his operas and oratorios.

During the 19th century, the surname Barnett continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as John Barnett (1802-1890), an English architect and civil engineer, and Samuel Augustus Barnett (1844-1913), a social reformer and founder of the first university settlement in London.

Throughout its history, the surname Barnett has been associated with various places and place names, particularly in England. For example, the town of Barnett in Hertfordshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barnett

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

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

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

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