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

Barrette, 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 Barrette surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barrette in America

Barrette is the 10748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barrette surname appeared 2,969 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Barrette.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barrette 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 Barrette

The surname Barrette has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "barret," which referred to a type of headgear commonly worn by men during that time. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who wore or made such headgear.

In its earliest recorded form, the surname was spelled "Barrete" or "Barete." Over time, variations such as "Barret," "Barrette," and "Barrett" emerged as the name spread across different regions of France and eventually to other parts of Europe.

One of the earliest known references to the name Barrette can be found in the 13th-century French manuscript "Le Roman de la Rose," where a character named "Jehan Barete" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in France by that period.

During the Middle Ages, the Barrette family held land and property in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Some notable individuals with this surname from that era include Guillaume Barrette, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), and Jehan Barrette, a merchant and landowner from the city of Lyon, born in the late 14th century.

As the surname spread across Europe, it also took root in other countries, such as England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England is found in the 1379 Poll Tax records, which mention a "John Barret" from the county of Somerset.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the Barrette family were notable figures in France and other parts of Europe. These include Jacques Barrette (1537-1615), a French theologian and author, and Pierre Barrette (1590-1672), a French explorer and fur trader who was among the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes region of North America.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Barrette surname continued to be well-represented across various fields, such as the arts, politics, and academia. Notable individuals from this period include Jean-Dominique Barrette (1774-1841), a French painter known for his landscape and portrait works, and Émile Barrette (1835-1905), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Quebec Legislative Assembly.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barrette

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

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

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

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