2000
#2,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,021
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.94
Uncommon Last name
Barragan
A Spanish surname derived from a place name meaning "hut" or "small house."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,331 Americans carry the last name Barragan. That puts it at #1,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,531 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barragan 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
25K
1 in 13,531
Census rank
#1,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,090 bearers of the surname Barragan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barragan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barragan
The surname Barragan originated in Spain, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "barragan," which initially referred to a type of coarse woolen cloth or blanket. This term can be traced back to the Arabic word "barrakan," suggesting a connection to the Moorish influence in Spain during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barragan can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This document mentions several individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in the region during that era.
The name Barragan was also associated with various place names throughout Spain. For instance, there is a town called Barragán in the province of Cáceres, and another called Barragan de la Sierra in the province of Ávila. These place names likely derived from the same Arabic root and may have contributed to the spread of the surname.
In the 16th century, one notable figure with the surname Barragan was Gaspar de Barragan, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He was born in Extremadura, Spain, around 1500 and died in Peru in the late 1540s.
Another prominent individual was Rodrigo de Barragan, a Spanish military commander who fought against the Moors in the 15th century. He was born in Seville around 1420 and played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain.
In the realm of literature, Luis Barragan Morfín (1902-1988) was a renowned Mexican architect and revolutionary artist, known for his poetic and minimalist designs. He received the Pritzker Prize, considered the highest honor in architecture, in 1980.
The surname Barragan was also present in Latin America, likely brought by Spanish settlers and conquistadors. One notable figure was José María Barragan (1768-1835), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as the interim president of Mexico in 1835.
Lastly, Emiliano Barragan (1903-1955) was a Mexican painter and muralist, renowned for his contributions to the Mexican Mural Renaissance movement. His works adorned public buildings and reflected the country's rich cultural heritage.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the surname Barragan, showcasing its deep-rooted presence in Spain, Latin America, and various fields, including military, politics, art, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barragan
Among Census respondents with the surname Barragan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Barragan 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 Barragan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.2% · 21,023
- White4.0% · 876
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 69
- Two or more races0.2% · 55
- Black or African American0.2% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barragan
Barragan 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
#1,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,176
+7,155 bearers (+44.7%)
Per 100,000 7.86
Rank movement Up 527 places
2020
#1,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,090
-1,086 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 7.39
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,078 | 16,021 | 5.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,551 | 23,176 | 7.86 | +7,155 bearers (+44.7%) | Up 527 places |
| 2020 | #1,585 | 22,090 | 7.39 | -1,086 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 34 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 Barragan 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 | #1,551 | #1,585 | -2.2% |
| Count | 23,176 | 22,090 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.86 | 7.39 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barragan bearers went from 23,176 to 22,090 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,551 to #1,585.
FAQ
Barragan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barragan?
Name Census estimates that about 25,331 living Americans carry the surname Barragan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,531 residents.
How common is Barragan?
Barragan ranks #1,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,090 people with the surname Barragan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Barragan.
Has Barragan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barragan went from 23,176 recorded bearers to 22,090. That is a decrease of 1,086 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,551 to #1,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Barragan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barragan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barragan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (21,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barragan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.2%), White (4.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Barragan (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 Barragan mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name meaning "hut" or "small house." 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 Barragan (7.39 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 people have the surname Barragan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.