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

Barros, 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 Barros surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barros in America

Barros is the 4934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barros surname appeared 7,134 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Barros.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barros 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 Barros

The surname Barros is of Portuguese origin, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the word "barro," which means "clay" or "mud" in Portuguese. This surname was likely initially given to individuals who lived near clay or muddy areas, or perhaps worked with clay or pottery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Barros can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese manuscript that chronicles the noble families of the region. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Barros, suggesting that the name was already established by that time.

The Barros surname is also associated with the town of Barros, located in the northern Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname as a reference to their place of origin or residency in this area.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Barros surname. João de Barros (1496-1570) was a renowned Portuguese historian and writer, famous for his work "Décadas da Ásia" (Decades of Asia), which chronicled the Portuguese explorations and conquests in Asia.

Another prominent figure was Manoel de Barros (1904-1982), a Brazilian poet and writer known for his unique literary style and his exploration of the relationship between language and nature. His works, such as "Poesias Completas" (Complete Poetry), earned him widespread acclaim and numerous literary awards.

In the 16th century, Álvaro de Barros (1496-1562) was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation of the globe. Barros played a crucial role in this historic voyage, serving as the fleet's pilot and cartographer.

Diego de Barros (1485-1541), a Spanish conquistador and soldier, was another notable figure who participated in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He served under Hernán Cortés and played a significant role in the conquest of Mexico.

The Barros surname can also be found in other parts of the world, such as Brazil and Spain, likely due to Portuguese and Spanish migration and colonization efforts. However, its origins can be traced back to the early Portuguese roots mentioned above.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barros

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

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

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

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