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

Barsh, 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 Barsh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barsh in America

Barsh is the 48256th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barsh surname appeared 438 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Barsh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barsh 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 Barsh

The surname Barsh is believed to have originated in the German region during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "barsch", which means "rough" or "harsh". This could indicate that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone with a gruff or stern demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barsh can be found in the German city of Augsburg, where a man named Heinrich Barsch is mentioned in municipal records from the year 1397. Another early reference is found in the town of Rottenburg, where a Johannes Barschen is listed in a census from 1428.

The Barsh surname appears to have spread from its German roots to other parts of central and eastern Europe in the subsequent centuries. In Poland, for example, the name is sometimes spelled as "Barszcz", and there are records of a noble family by that name residing in the region of Silesia in the 16th century.

Notably, the Barsh surname is also associated with the ancient Russian city of Veliky Novgorod, where a merchant named Ivan Barsh is recorded as having lived in the late 15th century. This suggests that the name may have been adopted by Russian speakers during the period of cultural and economic exchange between the Hanseatic League and the Novgorod Republic.

Some notable individuals throughout history who bore the Barsh surname include:

1. Friedrich Barsh (1662-1727), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach.
2. Mikhail Barsh (1795-1879), a Russian painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.
3. Eliza Barsh (1807-1884), an English novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name "Violet Fane".
4. Karl Barsh (1867-1935), an Austrian engineer who pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in construction.
5. Semyon Barsh (1892-1957), a Soviet military commander who led troops during the Russo-Finnish War and World War II.

While the Barsh name has evolved and spread across various regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the rugged terrain and harsh climate of medieval Germany, where it likely emerged as a descriptor of one's character or appearance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barsh

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

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

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

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