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

Barreto, 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 Barreto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barreto in America

Barreto is the 3524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barreto surname appeared 10,127 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Barreto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barreto 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 Barreto

The surname Barreto originated from Portugal and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "barreta," which referred to a type of cap or hat worn by clergy members. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who wore such a cap or hat.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Barreto can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Martim Barreto, who lived during the reign of King Afonso III of Portugal (1210-1279).

During the Age of Exploration, the Barreto name gained prominence as Portuguese explorers and colonizers ventured to various parts of the world. In the 16th century, Francisco Barreto (1520-1573) was a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Portuguese India from 1555 to 1558.

Another notable figure with the Barreto surname was Pedro Barreto de Resende (1590-1653), a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Portuguese Restoration War against Spain in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, José Barreto Ferras (1712-1784) was a prominent Portuguese architect who designed several notable buildings in Lisbon, including the Church of São Roque and the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Estrela.

During the 19th century, João Barreto Correia (1820-1899) was a Portuguese politician and writer who served as a member of parliament and published several works on history and literature.

As the Portuguese empire expanded across the globe, the Barreto surname also spread to various regions, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. Today, the name can be found in many Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as in other parts of the world where Portuguese immigrants have settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barreto

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

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

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

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