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

Barrera, 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 Barrera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barrera in America

Barrera is the 550th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barrera surname appeared 60,998 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Barrera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barrera 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 Barrera

The surname Barrera is of Spanish origin, and it first emerged in the regions of Castile and Aragon during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "barrera," which means "barrier" or "rampart," and it likely referred to someone who lived near a defensive wall or fortification.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barrera surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Barrera, particularly in the northern regions of Spain.

In the 15th century, the Barrera family held significant influence and power in the city of Seville. Juan de Barrera, a prominent nobleman born in 1435, served as a councilor to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. His son, Pedro de Barrera (1470-1542), was a renowned poet and playwright during the Spanish Renaissance.

As the Spanish Empire expanded its influence across the globe, the Barrera surname traveled to the Americas and other territories. In the 16th century, Gonzalo de Barrera (1520-1592) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.

During the 17th century, the Barrera family established itself in Mexico. One notable figure was Juan de Barrera y Leiba (1617-1684), a Jesuit priest and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of logic and metaphysics.

In the 19th century, José María Barrera (1785-1858) was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a crucial role in the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule. He served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1829 to 1833.

Throughout history, the Barrera surname has been associated with various prominent individuals across different fields, including literature, politics, and military affairs. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread globally, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barrera

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

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

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

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