2000
#72,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Barrajas
An occupational surname from Spanish originating from the word "barraja" meaning stockman or worker of arid lands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 443 Americans carry the last name Barrajas. That puts it at #57,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 773,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barrajas 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
443
1 in 773,712
Census rank
#57,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
386
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 386 bearers of the surname Barrajas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrajas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barrajas
The surname Barrajas originated in Spain, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "barraja," which refers to a shallow pit or depression in the ground. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who lived or worked near such natural features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barrajas surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a historical document from the 14th century that cataloged lands and their owners in the region of Castile. This record provides valuable insights into the prevalence and distribution of the name during that era.
In the 15th century, the Barrajas family is mentioned in several municipal records from the town of Soria, located in the northern part of Spain. These documents suggest that the family held a prominent position within the local community.
Notable individuals bearing the Barrajas surname include Juan de Barrajas, a Spanish sculptor and architect from the 16th century who played a significant role in the construction of the El Escorial monastery. Born in 1545, he contributed to the design and decoration of various chapels within the complex.
Another prominent figure was Pedro de Barrajas, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born around 1490 and played a pivotal role in several battles against the Aztec forces.
In the 17th century, Diego de Barrajas y Cárdenas, a Spanish military officer and nobleman, gained recognition for his service in the Spanish army during the Thirty Years' War. He was born in Seville in 1605 and rose through the ranks to become a respected commander.
The Barrajas surname also has connections to various place names in Spain, such as Barrajas de Arriba and Barrajas de Abajo, both located in the province of Soria. These place names likely originated from the same linguistic root as the surname, further reinforcing its geographic ties.
Francisco de Barrajas, a Spanish painter from the 18th century, is another notable figure associated with this surname. Born in 1734, he specialized in religious and historical paintings, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barrajas
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrajas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Barrajas 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 Barrajas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.6% · 373
- White2.3% · 9
- Two or more races0.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barrajas
Barrajas 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
#54,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 382
+132 bearers (+52.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 18,411 places
2020
#57,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 386
+4 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 2,995 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,466 | 250 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,055 | 382 | 0.13 | +132 bearers (+52.8%) | Up 18,411 places |
| 2020 | #57,050 | 386 | 0.13 | +4 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 2,995 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 Barrajas 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 | #54,055 | #57,050 | -5.5% |
| Count | 382 | 386 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barrajas bearers went from 382 to 386 (+1.0% change). The surname moved down 2,995 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,055 to #57,050.
FAQ
Barrajas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barrajas?
Name Census estimates that about 443 living Americans carry the surname Barrajas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 773,712 residents.
How common is Barrajas?
Barrajas ranks #57,050 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 386 people with the surname Barrajas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (443), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Barrajas.
Has Barrajas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barrajas went from 382 recorded bearers to 386. That is an increase of 4 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #54,055 to #57,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Barrajas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrajas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Barrajas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (373 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barrajas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.6%), White (2.3%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Barrajas (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 Barrajas mean?
An occupational surname from Spanish originating from the word "barraja" meaning stockman or worker of arid lands. 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 Barrajas (0.13 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 Barrajas?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.