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

Barraca, 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 Barraca surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Barraca in America

Barraca is the 146011th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barraca surname appeared 104 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barraca.

The history of the last name Barraca

The surname Barraca is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly from Spain and Portugal, around the medieval period. The name is commonly associated with regions such as Catalonia in northeastern Spain and the Algarve region of Portugal. Derived from the Old Spanish and Catalan word barraca, which means "hut" or "shack," it likely referred to a simple rural dwelling. This definition of the word suggests that the name may have originally been descriptive, indicating someone who lived in or was associated with a humble shelter or outbuilding.

The first recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Spanish and Portuguese records. One of the earliest mentions can be found in a 1270 manuscript from Catalonia that refers to a Pere de Barraca, a landowner who lived in a small village near Barcelona. The name appears again in the late 14th century in the Algarve region where Francisco Barraca, a farmer, is documented in municipal records from 1387.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Barraca throughout history. One such person was Joan Barraca, a prominent merchant from Valencia, born in 1525 and known for his influential trade connections throughout Europe. Another was Miguel Barraca, a distinguished soldier who fought during the Eighty Years' War, born in Lisbon in 1560 and died in 1622. Moving forward to the 17th century, Isabel Barraca, born in 1643 near Seville, gained attention for her philanthropic efforts and establishment of educational programs for the underprivileged.

The surname is also associated with the Italian unification period when Giovanni Battista Barraca, born in 1821 in Genoa, emerged as a significant military figure. He played a pivotal role in the battles leading to the consolidation of Italy and passed away in 1885. Finally, during the early 20th century, Maria Barraca, born in 1901 in Porto, Portugal, became a renowned poet and activist dedicated to social change, leaving a lasting legacy until her death in 1957.

Over time, various spellings of the surname have emerged, including Baracca and Barracas, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolutions. Despite alterations in spelling and geography, the core meaning associated with rural simplicity and a connection to the land remains a unifying theme of the Barraca surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barraca

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barraca 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.

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

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

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