2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Barrymore
An English habitational surname derived from "Barrymore" in County Cork, Ireland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 156 Americans carry the last name Barrymore. That puts it at #130,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,197,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barrymore 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
156
1 in 2,197,143
Census rank
#130,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
136
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 136 bearers of the surname Barrymore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 130360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrymore, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barrymore
The surname Barrymore originated in Ireland, specifically in the south of the country. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "barr" meaning "top" or "summit" and "muir" meaning "sea", likely referring to a place or landscape feature. The name was first recorded in the 12th century.
The earliest known bearer of the name was Philip de Barri, also known as Giraldus Cambrensis, a Welsh cleric and author who lived from around 1146 to 1223. In his writings, he mentions the Barrymore family as being descended from the Norman knight Robert FitzStephen, one of the first Anglo-Normans to invade Ireland in 1169.
The Barrymore family is closely associated with County Cork, where they held significant lands and titles from the 12th century onwards. The Barrymore Castle, located near Midleton, was the family's ancestral seat for centuries.
One notable figure in the family's history was Richard Barry, 4th Earl of Barrymore, who lived from 1769 to 1823. He was an Irish nobleman, politician, and theatrical enthusiast, known for his extravagant lifestyle and patronage of the arts.
Another famous bearer of the name was John Barrymore, an American actor of Irish descent who lived from 1882 to 1942. He was a member of the renowned Barrymore acting family and is considered one of the greatest actors of the early 20th century.
The name Barrymore also appears in historical records from the 14th century, such as the Pipe Rolls of County Cork, where variations like "Barrymore" and "Barymoore" are found.
Other notable individuals with the surname Barrymore include Ethel Barrymore, an American actress and member of the Barrymore acting family (1879-1959), and Drew Barrymore, an American actress and producer who is a descendant of the famous Barrymore family (born in 1975).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barrymore
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrymore, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Barrymore 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 Barrymore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.0% · 83
- Black or African American27.9% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 6
- Two or more races4.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barrymore
Barrymore 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-10 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,973 places
2020
#130,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+5 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 535 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 14,973 places |
| 2020 | #130,360 | 136 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 535 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 Barrymore 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 | #129,825 | #130,360 | -0.4% |
| Count | 131 | 136 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barrymore bearers went from 131 to 136 (+3.8% change). The surname moved down 535 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #130,360.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barrymore
FAQ
Barrymore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barrymore?
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the surname Barrymore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,197,143 residents.
How common is Barrymore?
Barrymore ranks #130,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 136 people with the surname Barrymore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Barrymore.
Has Barrymore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barrymore went from 131 recorded bearers to 136. That is an increase of 5 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #130,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Barrymore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrymore, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Barrymore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.0% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barrymore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.0%), Black (27.9%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Barrymore (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 Barrymore mean?
An English habitational surname derived from "Barrymore" in County Cork, Ireland. 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 Barrymore (0.05 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 many people have the last name Barrymore?
You can see how common the surname Barrymore is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.