2000
#13,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Barras
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the clay," referring to the type of soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,157 Americans carry the last name Barras. That puts it at #15,061 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barras 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barras with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,903
Census rank
#15,061
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,881 bearers of the surname Barras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15061st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barras, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 These different spellings can be found in various historical documents and records from the 14th to the 16th centuries.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barras
Among Census respondents with the surname Barras, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Barras 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 Barras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 1,507
- Black or African American7.3% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 129
- Two or more races3.6% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barras
Barras 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
#12,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,512
+388 bearers (+18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 803 places
2020
#15,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,881
-631 bearers (-25.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 2,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,187 | 2,124 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,384 | 2,512 | 0.85 | +388 bearers (+18.3%) | Up 803 places |
| 2020 | #15,061 | 1,881 | 0.63 | -631 bearers (-25.1%) | Down 2,677 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 Barras 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 | #12,384 | #15,061 | -21.6% |
| Count | 2,512 | 1,881 | -25.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.63 | -26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barras bearers went from 2,512 to 1,881 (-25.1% change). The surname moved down 2,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,384 to #15,061.
FAQ
Barras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barras?
Name Census estimates that about 2,157 living Americans carry the surname Barras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,903 residents.
How common is Barras?
Barras ranks #15,061 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,881 people with the surname Barras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Barras.
Has Barras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barras went from 2,512 recorded bearers to 1,881. That is a decrease of 631 (-25.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,384 to #15,061.
What does the Census say about the background of Barras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barras, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (1,507 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (7.3%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Barras (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 Barras mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the clay," referring to the type of soil. 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 Barras (0.63 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 common is the surname Barras?
You can see how common the surname Barras is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.