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

Barraza, 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 Barraza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barraza in America

Barraza is the 2004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barraza surname appeared 18,030 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Barraza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barraza 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 Barraza

The surname Barraza is of Spanish origin, originating in regions of Spain such as Andalusia and Extremadura. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "barraza," which means a small ravine or gully. The name likely originated as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in such a geographical feature.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Barraza date back to the 16th century in various regions of Spain. As Spanish exploration and colonization expanded, the name was carried to the Americas, particularly to Mexico and other areas of Central and South America.

One of the earliest known references to the Barraza name can be found in the chronicles of the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Montejo, who led expeditions to the Yucatán Peninsula in the early 16th century. Among his companions was a soldier named Juan Barraza, who is mentioned in accounts of the conquest of the Maya civilization.

During the colonial era in Mexico, several notable individuals bore the Barraza surname. One example is Juan de Barraza, a military officer and governor of the province of Tabasco in the late 16th century. Another is Diego de Barraza, a priest and author who wrote about the indigenous languages and customs of Mexico in the early 17th century.

In the 19th century, José María Barraza was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a prominent role in the Mexican-American War and the Reform War. He served as governor of the state of Zacatecas and was known for his defense of liberal principles.

In Spain, one of the most famous individuals with the Barraza surname was Gaspar de Barraza y Ladrón de Guevara, a 17th-century bishop and scholar who served as the Bishop of Segovia and wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics.

Other notable individuals with the Barraza surname include the 20th-century Mexican writer and poet José Barraza, the Chilean painter Juan Barraza, and the Argentine footballer Héctor Barraza, who played for several clubs in the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barraza

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

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

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

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