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

Byars, 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 Byars surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Byars in America

Byars is the 5223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Byars surname appeared 6,683 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 Byars.

We can also compare 2010 data for Byars 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 Byars

The surname Byars has its origins in the British Isles, likely emerging in England or Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "byre," meaning a cow shed or barn, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in such a structure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Bieres." This document provides evidence of the name's existence in northern England during the late 12th century.

In Scotland, the name appears in various forms, including Byers, Byres, and Byars, throughout historical records from the 13th century onward. For example, a John de Byers is mentioned in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1306, indicating the presence of the name in that region during the reign of King Robert the Bruce.

During the 16th century, the Byars surname can be found in various English parish records, such as those of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Additionally, the name is associated with several place names, including Byars Lees in Yorkshire and Byarsgreen in Durham.

Notable individuals bearing the Byars surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Byars (c. 1540-1604), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1598.
2. Robert Byars (c. 1660-1732), a Scottish minister and theologian known for his work "The Secret and Sanctified Suffering of the Church."
3. William Byars (1804-1888), an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Tennessee from 1839 to 1843.
4. John Byars (1886-1952), an American baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers and the New York Giants in the early 20th century.
5. Betsy Byars (1928-2020), an American author of children's books, including the Newbery Medal-winning "The Summer of the Swans" and the popular "Bingo Brown" series.

While the Byars surname may have originated as a reference to a specific occupation or location, it has since become a well-established family name carried by individuals from various walks of life across multiple generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Byars

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

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

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

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