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

Barras, 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 Barras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barras in America

Barras is the 12384th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barras surname appeared 2,512 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Barras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barras 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 Barras

The surname Barras is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Catalonia. It is derived from the Catalan word "barra," which translates to "bar" or "rod." This could suggest that the name was initially associated with an occupation or trade involving metalworking or blacksmithing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barras can be found in the 13th-century Catalan manuscript "Llibre dels Fets" (Book of Deeds), which chronicles the reign of King James I of Aragon. The text mentions a certain "Ramon Barras" who participated in the conquest of Valencia in 1238.

As the Barras family spread across the Iberian Peninsula, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Barras," "Barrás," and "Barràs." These different spellings can be found in various historical documents and records from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

During the 15th century, the name Barras gained prominence in the region of Aragon, where a notable family bearing this surname held prominent positions within the local nobility. One notable member was Juan de Barras (1430-1492), who served as a trusted advisor to King Ferdinand II of Aragon and played a significant role in the Spanish Inquisition.

In the 16th century, the Barras name also appeared in the New World, as Spanish explorers and settlers carried the surname across the Atlantic. One such individual was Pedro de Barras (1510-1578), a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru and later became a prominent landowner in present-day Chile.

Another notable figure was Alonso de Barras (1555-1627), a Spanish soldier and author who wrote extensively about his experiences in the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic.

During the 18th century, the Barras surname gained recognition in France, where it was associated with the prominent military and political figure Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras (1755-1829). He played a pivotal role during the French Revolution and later served as a member of the Directory, one of the governing bodies of post-revolutionary France.

Throughout its history, the Barras surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from noblemen and military leaders to explorers and authors, reflecting the widespread distribution and prominence of this name across various regions and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barras

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

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

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

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