Barrat
An Anglo-Norman surname originally denoting one employed as a sentry or watchman.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 103 Americans carry the last name Barrat. That puts it at #157,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,327,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barrat 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.
Barrat appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
103
1 in 3,327,712
Census rank
#157,234
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Barrat in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 157234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrat, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barrat
The surname Barrat is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "barre," which means "bar" or "barrier." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a barrier or gate, or someone who worked as a gatekeeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barrat can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named Robert Barrat in the county of Lincolnshire, England.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Barrat was also found in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central areas. The name appeared in different spellings, such as Barrat, Barratt, and Barrat, reflecting the variations in local dialects and scribal practices.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Barrat was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Rouen, Normandy. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time, indicating the family's influence and status.
Another noteworthy individual was Thomas Barrat, a renowned English scholar and clergyman who lived in the 15th century. He was educated at the University of Oxford and served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1454 to 1470.
During the Renaissance period, the Barrat family produced several artists and intellectuals. One of the most celebrated was Pierre Barrat, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1542 to 1598. His works were widely admired and can be found in various museums across Europe.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Barrat family was Jacques Barrat, a French military officer and engineer. He played a significant role in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the reign of Louis XIV.
Another notable figure was Sir John Barrat, an English politician and landowner who lived from 1678 to 1743. He served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and was known for his involvement in local affairs.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname Barrat throughout history. The name has spread across various countries and regions, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped its legacy over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barrat
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrat, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Barrat bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Barrat surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8%
- Black or African American11.7%
- Two or more races7.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8%
- Unknown or suppressed1.9%
FAQ
Barrat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barrat?
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the surname Barrat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,327,712 residents.
How common is Barrat?
Barrat ranks #157,234 in the 2010 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 2010 Census file counted 103 people with the surname Barrat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Barrat.
Has Barrat become more or less common over time?
Barrat appears here with 2010 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Barrat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrat, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (7.8%). These figures come from the 2010 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 Barrat in the 2010 Census, accounting for 71.8%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barrat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (71.8%), Black (11.7%), Two or More Races (7.8%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Barrat appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Barrat mean?
An Anglo-Norman surname originally denoting one employed as a sentry or watchman. 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 2010 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 Barrat (0.03 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 share the surname Barrat?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.