2000
#15,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Barre
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a barrier, fence, or gateway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,346 Americans carry the last name Barre. That puts it at #14,094 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barre 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 Barre with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,102
Census rank
#14,094
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,046 bearers of the surname Barre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14094th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barre, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barre
The surname Barre has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "barre," which means "bar" or "barrier." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a physical barrier or checkpoint.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barre can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions several individuals with the surname Barre, indicating the name's presence in Normandy and other parts of northern France at the time.
In the 12th century, the name Barre appeared in various forms, such as "de la Barre" and "de Barra," suggesting a connection to specific locations or estates. For instance, the village of La Barre in the Manche department of Normandy may have given rise to some variations of the surname.
One notable figure bearing the name was Isaac Barre, a British military officer and politician born in 1726. He served in the Seven Years' War and later became a Member of Parliament, known for his support of the American colonists during the American Revolution.
Another prominent individual was Jean-Antoine Lefèvre de la Barre, a French nobleman who lived from 1662 to 1736. He was a military officer and served as the Governor of New France (present-day Canada) from 1682 to 1685.
In the 18th century, the surname Barre was also associated with the Barre family, a prominent clan in the French region of Auvergne. This family produced several notable figures, including François Barre, a French architect born in 1745, who designed several significant buildings in Paris.
The name Barre has also been documented in other parts of Europe, such as England and Scotland, where it may have been adopted by families of French descent or through various linguistic and cultural influences.
Throughout history, the surname Barre has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military leaders, politicians, architects, and landowners. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages in France, where it likely referred to those residing near physical barriers or checkpoints.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barre
Among Census respondents with the surname Barre, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barre 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 Barre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.8% · 1,163
- Black or African American30.9% · 633
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 64
- Two or more races3.0% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barre
Barre 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
#13,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,205
+514 bearers (+30.4%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 2,082 places
2020
#14,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,046
-159 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,809 | 1,691 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,727 | 2,205 | 0.75 | +514 bearers (+30.4%) | Up 2,082 places |
| 2020 | #14,094 | 2,046 | 0.68 | -159 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 367 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 Barre 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 | #13,727 | #14,094 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,205 | 2,046 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.68 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barre bearers went from 2,205 to 2,046 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 367 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,727 to #14,094.
FAQ
Barre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barre?
Name Census estimates that about 2,346 living Americans carry the surname Barre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,102 residents.
How common is Barre?
Barre ranks #14,094 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,046 people with the surname Barre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Barre.
Has Barre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barre went from 2,205 recorded bearers to 2,046. That is a decrease of 159 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,727 to #14,094.
What does the Census say about the background of Barre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barre, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.9%) and Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Barre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (1,163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.8%), Black (30.9%), Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Barre (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 Barre mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a barrier, fence, or gateway. 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 Barre (0.68 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 have the surname Barre?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.