2000
#12,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Barter
An occupational surname referring to a trader or exchanger of goods and services without using money.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,095 Americans carry the last name Barter. That puts it at #15,448 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barter 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 Barter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,606
Census rank
#15,448
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,827 bearers of the surname Barter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15448th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barter, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barter
The surname BARTER is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "bāter," which means "one who barters or trades." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked as a trader or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BARTER can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk, dated around 1273. This document mentions a person named Roger Barter, indicating that the name was already in use by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname BARTER appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a William Barter was mentioned in 1332. Additionally, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire listed a John Barter in 1379.
During the 16th century, the surname BARTER was found in various parish records across England. Notable examples include Thomas Barter, who was christened in Kirby Cane, Norfolk, in 1550, and John Barter, who married Margery Wilkinson in Stratton, Norfolk, in 1576.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname BARTER was Sir John Barter (c. 1550-1622), an English merchant and Member of Parliament. He was born in Bristol and became a prominent figure in the city's trade with Spain and Portugal.
Another notable person with the surname BARTER was Richard Barter (1760-1841), an English naval officer and explorer. He served in the Royal Navy and was involved in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean, including the discovery of several islands.
In the 18th century, the surname BARTER was also found in various parts of the United States. One example is Ezekiel Barter (1761-1836), a merchant and landowner from Massachusetts who served as a representative in the state legislature.
Another prominent bearer of the surname BARTER was John Russell Barter (1804-1870), an English-born Australian pastoralist and explorer. He played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the Riverina region in New South Wales.
In the 19th century, the surname BARTER was also found in other parts of the world, such as Canada and New Zealand. One example is William Barter (1837-1906), a New Zealand farmer and politician who served as a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barter
Among Census respondents with the surname Barter, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Barter 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 Barter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 1,605
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 78
- Two or more races3.9% · 72
- Black or African American2.8% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barter
Barter 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
#13,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
-72 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,194 places
2020
#15,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,827
-488 bearers (-21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 2,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,009 | 2,387 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,203 | 2,315 | 0.78 | -72 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1,194 places |
| 2020 | #15,448 | 1,827 | 0.61 | -488 bearers (-21.1%) | Down 2,245 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 Barter 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 | #13,203 | #15,448 | -17.0% |
| Count | 2,315 | 1,827 | -21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.61 | -21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barter bearers went from 2,315 to 1,827 (-21.1% change). The surname moved down 2,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,203 to #15,448.
FAQ
Barter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barter?
Name Census estimates that about 2,095 living Americans carry the surname Barter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,606 residents.
How common is Barter?
Barter ranks #15,448 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,827 people with the surname Barter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,095), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Barter.
Has Barter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barter went from 2,315 recorded bearers to 1,827. That is a decrease of 488 (-21.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,203 to #15,448.
What does the Census say about the background of Barter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barter, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Barter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (1,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Barter (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 Barter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a trader or exchanger of goods and services without using money. 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 Barter (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Barter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.