2000
#94,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Barrita
Spanish surname meaning "little bar" or "small rod".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 376 Americans carry the last name Barrita. That puts it at #65,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 911,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barrita 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.
Bearers in the US
376
1 in 911,581
Census rank
#65,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
328
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 328 bearers of the surname Barrita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 65358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and White (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barrita
The surname Barrita has its origins in Spain, specifically in the Basque region, which encompasses parts of northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The name Barrita is derived from the Basque word "barra," meaning "bar" or "rod," and the diminutive suffix "-ita," indicating a smaller or more affectionate form. This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to identify an individual who worked with bars or rods, possibly in a trade such as blacksmithing or metalworking.
While there are no definitive records of the earliest known use of the surname Barrita, it is reasonable to assume that it appeared in various local documents and records of the time, particularly in the Basque provinces of Spain and the neighboring regions of France.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Barrita was Juan Barrita, a blacksmith who lived in the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country, during the late 15th century. His name appears in several municipal records related to his trade and property ownership.
Another notable bearer of the surname was María Barrita, a renowned weaver and textile artist from the town of Lekeitio, in the province of Bizkaia, Spain. She lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and was renowned for her intricate tapestries, which were commissioned by wealthy patrons throughout the region.
In the 18th century, Pedro Barrita, a merchant and ship owner from the coastal town of Bermeo, in Bizkaia, gained prominence for his successful trading ventures with the Americas and other parts of Europe. His name is documented in various shipping manifests and business records from that era.
During the 19th century, José Barrita, a writer and educator from San Sebastián, in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, made significant contributions to the preservation of Basque language and culture through his literary works and teachings. He was born in 1812 and died in 1887.
Another notable figure was Catalina Barrita, a philanthropist and social activist from the town of Bilbao, who lived from 1845 to 1928. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of underprivileged communities in the Basque region and established several charitable organizations and educational initiatives.
While the surname Barrita has its roots in the Basque region, it has since spread to other parts of Spain and beyond, as individuals with this surname migrated and settled in different areas over the centuries. However, its origin and connection to the Basque culture and language remain an integral part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barrita
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and White (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Barrita 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 Barrita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.6% · 320
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 6
- White0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barrita
Barrita 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
#56,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 359
+180 bearers (+100.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 37,840 places
2020
#65,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
-31 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 8,522 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94,676 | 179 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,836 | 359 | 0.12 | +180 bearers (+100.6%) | Up 37,840 places |
| 2020 | #65,358 | 328 | 0.11 | -31 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 8,522 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 Barrita 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 | #56,836 | #65,358 | -15.0% |
| Count | 359 | 328 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barrita bearers went from 359 to 328 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 8,522 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,836 to #65,358.
FAQ
Barrita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barrita?
Name Census estimates that about 376 living Americans carry the surname Barrita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 911,581 residents.
How common is Barrita?
Barrita ranks #65,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 328 people with the surname Barrita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (376), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Barrita.
Has Barrita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barrita went from 359 recorded bearers to 328. That is a decrease of 31 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #56,836 to #65,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Barrita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and White (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barrita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.6% (320 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barrita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), White (0.6%). 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 Barrita (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 Barrita mean?
Spanish surname meaning "little bar" or "small rod". 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 Barrita (0.11 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 common is the surname Barrita?
Want to know how many people have the surname Barrita? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.