2000
#14,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,973
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Labar
A surname of French origin meaning "the bar" or "the frontier".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,205 Americans carry the last name Labar. That puts it at #14,806 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Labar 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
2.2K
1 in 155,444
Census rank
#14,806
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,923 bearers of the surname Labar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14806th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Labar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Labar
The surname LABAR has its origins in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "la barre," which referred to a defensive barrier or gate used in fortifications. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near or were responsible for maintaining such structures.
One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Savigny, a medieval manuscript from the late 12th century, where a certain "Renaud de la Barre" is listed as a witness to a land transaction. This record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during that period.
In the 13th century, the name LABAR appeared in various forms, such as "de la Barre" and "de la Bare," reflecting the common practice of adding the preposition "de" to denote a person's place of origin or association. These variations can be found in several historical documents, including the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Juziers from 1240.
During the 14th century, the name LABAR gained prominence with the rise of a notable family from the Champagne region of France. Jean de la Barre (c. 1315-1383), a knight and military commander, served under several French kings and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against England.
Another prominent figure bearing the LABAR surname was Nicolas de la Barre (c. 1470-1544), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as the President of the Parlement of Paris. His influential work, "De l'autorité du roi et des états généraux," explored the balance of power between the monarchy and the Estates General.
In the 16th century, the LABAR name spread beyond France, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in the Low Countries (present-day Belgium and the Netherlands). For example, Jean de la Barre (c. 1520-1585), a Flemish painter and engraver, gained recognition for his religious and allegorical works.
As the name continued to evolve, variations such as "Labarr," "Labarre," and "LaBarre" emerged, reflecting regional dialects and spelling preferences. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origins of the surname remained rooted in its French heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Labar
Among Census respondents with the surname Labar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Labar 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 Labar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 1,763
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 65
- Two or more races3.1% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Labar
Labar 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
#15,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,887
-86 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,486 places
2020
#14,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,923
+36 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,022 | 1,973 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,508 | 1,887 | 0.64 | -86 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 1,486 places |
| 2020 | #14,806 | 1,923 | 0.64 | +36 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 702 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 Labar 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 | #15,508 | #14,806 | 4.5% |
| Count | 1,887 | 1,923 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Labar bearers went from 1,887 to 1,923 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 702 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,508 to #14,806.
FAQ
Labar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Labar?
Name Census estimates that about 2,205 living Americans carry the surname Labar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,444 residents.
How common is Labar?
Labar ranks #14,806 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,923 people with the surname Labar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Labar.
Has Labar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Labar went from 1,887 recorded bearers to 1,923. That is an increase of 36 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,508 to #14,806.
What does the Census say about the background of Labar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Labar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Labar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (1,763 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Labar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Labar (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 Labar mean?
A surname of French origin meaning "the bar" or "the frontier". 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 Labar (0.64 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 share the surname Labar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.