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

Barranca, 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 Barranca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barranca in America

Barranca is the 69170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barranca surname appeared 284 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barranca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barranca to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barranca

The surname Barranca has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "barranca," which means a deep ravine or gorge. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or was associated with a deep ravine or gorge.

In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. It is believed to have been adopted as a surname during the time when surnames became hereditary in Spain, around the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barranca can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, where a document from 1542 mentions a certain Juan de Barranca, a landowner in the region.

Another notable mention of the name comes from the 17th century, when a Spanish explorer named Pedro de Barranca was part of an expedition to the Caribbean islands in the 1630s. His journals provide valuable insights into the early Spanish exploration of the region.

In the 18th century, the Barranca family gained prominence in the city of Cádiz, where a wealthy merchant named Rodrigo Barranca (1712-1789) established a successful trading company. His descendants continued to be influential in the region for several generations.

As Spanish exploration and colonization spread across the Americas, the Barranca surname also found its way to these new territories. One notable figure was Juana Barranca (1762-1832), a landowner and philanthropist in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, who was renowned for her charitable works.

In the 19th century, the Barranca family had a strong presence in the Caribbean region, particularly in Cuba. One of the most prominent figures was General José Barranca (1823-1898), a Cuban military leader who fought for independence from Spanish rule.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and spread of the Barranca surname, which has its roots in the rugged landscapes of southern Spain but has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many regions across the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barranca

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

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 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barranca 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barranca has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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