2000
#5,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,598
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.08
Rare Last name
Barros
A Portuguese and Spanish topographic surname referring to clay, mud, or marshland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,664 Americans carry the last name Barros. That puts it at #4,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,561 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barros 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barros with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,561
Census rank
#4,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,555 bearers of the surname Barros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barros, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.2%) and Black (19.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barros
Among Census respondents with the surname Barros, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.2%) and Black (19.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Barros 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 Barros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White40.9% · 3,089
- Hispanic or Latino30.2% · 2,281
- Black or African American19.3% · 1,459
- Two or more races4.7% · 355
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 324
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barros
Barros 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
#4,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,134
+1,536 bearers (+27.4%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Up 752 places
2020
#4,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,555
+421 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Up 377 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,686 | 5,598 | 2.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,934 | 7,134 | 2.42 | +1,536 bearers (+27.4%) | Up 752 places |
| 2020 | #4,557 | 7,555 | 2.53 | +421 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 377 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 Barros 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 | #4,934 | #4,557 | 7.6% |
| Count | 7,134 | 7,555 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.42 | 2.53 | 4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barros bearers went from 7,134 to 7,555 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 377 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,934 to #4,557.
FAQ
Barros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barros?
Name Census estimates that about 8,664 living Americans carry the surname Barros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,561 residents.
How common is Barros?
Barros ranks #4,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,555 people with the surname Barros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,664), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Barros.
Has Barros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barros went from 7,134 recorded bearers to 7,555. That is an increase of 421 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,934 to #4,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Barros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barros, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.2%) and Black (19.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 40.9% (3,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (40.9%), Hispanic (30.2%), Black (19.3%). 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 Barros (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 Barros mean?
A Portuguese and Spanish topographic surname referring to clay, mud, or marshland. 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 Barros (2.53 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 Barros?
You can see how many people have the surname Barros on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.