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

Barrows, 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 Barrows surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barrows in America

Barrows is the 4561st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barrows surname appeared 7,773 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Barrows.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barrows 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 Barrows

The surname BARROWS has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "beara," meaning a grove or a thicket, combined with the Old English word "hyrst," meaning a wooded hill or a hillock. This suggests that the name originally referred to individuals who lived near or worked in areas with dense foliage or wooded hills.

BARROWS is also closely related to the Old English word "beorg," meaning a burial mound or a barrow. This connection implies that some individuals bearing this surname may have lived near or had associations with ancient burial sites or barrows, which were common in certain parts of England during the Anglo-Saxon era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BARROWS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as a place name in various counties, including Berkshire and Hertfordshire. This indicates that the name had already established itself in different regions of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Berwe" and "atte Berwe," reflecting the evolution of the English language and the influence of Norman French on surnames. These variations suggest that the name was initially associated with specific locations or settlements before becoming a more widespread surname.

Notable individuals bearing the surname BARROWS throughout history include:

1. Henry Barrows (1550-1593), an English Puritan minister and one of the founders of the Separatist movement, which later evolved into Congregationalism.

2. John Barrows (1638-1701), an English colonial settler and one of the founders of the town of Branford, Connecticut, in the United States.

3. Samuel Barrows (1775-1841), an American physician and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts.

4. Mary Barrows (1829-1894), an American educator and pioneer in the field of women's education, who founded the Maple Grove Seminary in Waukegan, Illinois.

5. David Prescott Barrows (1873-1942), an American educator and anthropologist who served as the President of the University of California and played a significant role in the establishment of the University of the Philippines.

The surname BARROWS continues to be found in various parts of the English-speaking world, reflecting its long-standing presence and the migrations of individuals bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barrows

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

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

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

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