2000
#300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 92,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 34.21
Common Last name
Barnett
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Barnett, likely referring to a "burnt" or "cleared" area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 104,539 Americans carry the last name Barnett. That puts it at #337 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 30.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,279 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barnett 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 Barnett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
105K
1 in 3,279
Census rank
#337
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
30.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
91K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 91,163 bearers of the surname Barnett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 30.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 337th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barnett
Among Census respondents with the surname Barnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Barnett 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 Barnett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 66,788
- Black or African American16.9% · 15,450
- Two or more races4.7% · 4,295
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 3,210
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 840
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 580
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barnett
Barnett 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
#324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 95,681
+3,394 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 32.44
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 91,163
-4,518 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 30.50
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #300 | 92,287 | 34.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #324 | 95,681 | 32.44 | +3,394 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #337 | 91,163 | 30.50 | -4,518 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13 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 Barnett 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 | #324 | #337 | -4.0% |
| Count | 95,681 | 91,163 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 32.44 | 30.50 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barnett bearers went from 95,681 to 91,163 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #324 to #337.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barnett
FAQ
Barnett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barnett?
Name Census estimates that about 104,539 living Americans carry the surname Barnett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,279 residents.
How common is Barnett?
Barnett ranks #337 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 30.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 30 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 91,163 people with the surname Barnett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (104,539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 30.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 30.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 30 of them to have the surname Barnett.
Has Barnett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barnett went from 95,681 recorded bearers to 91,163. That is a decrease of 4,518 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #324 to #337.
What does the Census say about the background of Barnett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barnett, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) 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 Barnett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (66,788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barnett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (16.9%), 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 Barnett (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 Barnett mean?
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Barnett, likely referring to a "burnt" or "cleared" area. 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 Barnett (30.50 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 Barnett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.