2000
#12,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,195
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Barra
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a clay pit or mud flat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,445 Americans carry the last name Barra. That puts it at #13,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barra 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.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,186
Census rank
#13,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,132 bearers of the surname Barra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barra, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.4%) and Black (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barra
The surname "Barra" is of Italian origin, and its earliest roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Italy. One of the earliest mentions of the name was found in records from the 12th century in the region of Piedmont, where it was likely derived from the Italian word "barra," meaning "bar" or "barrier."
During the Middle Ages, many Italian surnames were derived from occupations, and it is possible that the name Barra was initially associated with individuals who worked as bar owners or innkeepers. Alternatively, it could have been given to those who lived near a physical barrier, such as a gate or wall, in a particular town or village.
The first recorded instance of the surname Barra appears in the 13th century, in the Piedmontese town of Savigliano. A document from 1276 mentions a certain "Guglielmo Barra," who was likely a prominent citizen or landowner in the area.
As the name spread throughout Italy, variations in spelling emerged, including Barra, Barre, and Barri. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
One notable figure in Italian history bearing the surname Barra was Giovanni Barra (1579-1642), a renowned painter from the city of Genoa. His works, primarily religious scenes and portraits, can be found in churches and galleries across Italy.
Another prominent individual was Francesco Barra (1624-1678), a Neapolitan architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Naples, including the Church of San Francesco di Paola and the Palazzo dello Spagnuolo.
In the 18th century, the name Barra was also associated with a family of Italian nobles from the region of Calabria. The Barras were influential landowners and held various political positions within the Kingdom of Naples.
One of the most famous figures with the surname Barra was Paolo Barra (1854-1924), an Italian general who fought in the Italo-Turkish War and World War I. He was awarded numerous military honors for his service and leadership.
Another notable individual was Antonio Barra (1876-1953), an Italian sculptor and painter known for his monumental works and contributions to the Futurist movement in art.
While the surname Barra is most commonly associated with Italy, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in Spain and France, likely due to migration patterns and cultural exchanges over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barra
Among Census respondents with the surname Barra, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.4%) and Black (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barra 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 Barra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.2% · 1,134
- Hispanic or Latino34.4% · 733
- Black or African American7.4% · 158
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 74
- Two or more races1.3% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barra
Barra 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
#11,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
+444 bearers (+20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 986 places
2020
#13,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
-507 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 1,741 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,851 | 2,195 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,865 | 2,639 | 0.89 | +444 bearers (+20.2%) | Up 986 places |
| 2020 | #13,606 | 2,132 | 0.71 | -507 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 1,741 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 Barra 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 | #11,865 | #13,606 | -14.7% |
| Count | 2,639 | 2,132 | -19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.71 | -19.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barra bearers went from 2,639 to 2,132 (-19.2% change). The surname moved down 1,741 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,865 to #13,606.
FAQ
Barra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barra?
Name Census estimates that about 2,445 living Americans carry the surname Barra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,186 residents.
How common is Barra?
Barra ranks #13,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,132 people with the surname Barra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Barra.
Has Barra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barra went from 2,639 recorded bearers to 2,132. That is a decrease of 507 (-19.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,865 to #13,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Barra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barra, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.4%) and Black (7.4%). 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 Barra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.2% (1,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.2%), Hispanic (34.4%), Black (7.4%). 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 Barra (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 Barra mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a clay pit or mud flat. 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 Barra (0.71 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 Barra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.