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

Barroso, 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 Barroso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barroso in America

Barroso is the 6381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barroso surname appeared 5,333 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 Barroso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barroso 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 Barroso

The surname Barroso originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word 'barroso', meaning 'muddy' or 'marshy', indicating that the name may have been given to someone who lived in or came from a muddy or marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Barroso can be found in the 13th century, in the Inquirições Gerais, a comprehensive survey of properties and landholdings conducted during the reign of King Afonso III of Portugal (1210-1279).

The Barroso region in northern Portugal, known for its rugged terrain and picturesque villages, is believed to be the ancestral homeland of many families bearing this surname. The name may have originated from this geographical location, with families adopting the name based on their place of residence or origin.

In the 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, several Portuguese explorers and navigators with the surname Barroso played significant roles in the expansion of the Portuguese Empire. One notable figure was João Barroso (c. 1455-1512), a navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1497-1499.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Pedro Barroso de Rezende (c. 1520-1592), a Portuguese historian and chronicler who served as the official chronicler of the Portuguese court during the reigns of King João III and King Sebastian I.

In the 18th century, José Barroso y Pereira (1719-1787), a Spanish naval officer and explorer, made significant contributions to the exploration of the Pacific Ocean and the mapping of the western coast of North America.

Fast-forwarding to the 20th century, José Manuel Barroso (born 1956) is a notable figure with this surname. He served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004 and later became the President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014.

Throughout history, the surname Barroso has been associated with various professions, including writers, politicians, artists, and military figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barroso

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

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

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

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