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

Barren, 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 Barren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barren in America

Barren is the 25459th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barren surname appeared 971 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barren.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barren 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 Barren

The surname BARREN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "bǣre," which means "bare" or "barren." It was likely an occupational name given to someone who lived on or worked on unproductive or infertile land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name BARREN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In the book, there are references to individuals with the surname BARREN living in various counties, such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name BARREN appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records of landholdings in England. The name was also found in the Pipe Rolls, which were records of royal revenue and expenditure.

In the 16th century, the name BARREN was sometimes associated with place names, such as Barren Hill in Gloucestershire and Barren Acres in Bedfordshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One notable individual with the surname BARREN was Sir John Barren (c. 1450-1518), who was a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 16th century. Another was Robert Barren (1577-1645), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the name BARREN appeared in various parish records and court rolls, indicating its continued use and presence across England. One individual of note was Thomas Barren (1625-1691), a merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

During the 18th century, the name BARREN was found in various genealogical records and family histories. One notable individual was William Barren (1720-1789), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Oxfordshire, who funded the construction of several churches and schools in his local area.

In the 19th century, the name BARREN continued to be documented in census records and birth, marriage, and death registers across England and other parts of the British Isles. One individual of note was James Barren (1801-1879), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Athenaeum Club.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barren

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

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

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

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