River Barnard
There are approximately 3 people named River Barnard living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 114,251,446 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name River with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Barnard. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
3
1 in 114,251,446
Named River
54K
Alive today
Named Barnard
22K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 54K
Rarity: Uncommon
Gender: Unisex
Peak year: 2022
Average age: 9
Top Census group: White (76.1%)
Estimated bearers: 22K
Rarity: Uncommon
Census rank: #1,839
Per 100K: 6.41
Top ancestry: White (86.4%)
First name trend
River: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name River. The peak year was 2022 with 5,421 births. The average person named River today is 9 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for River
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name River, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 76.1%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name River described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name River at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White76.1% · 21,592
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 2,892
- Two or more races8.0% · 2,274
- Black or African American2.3% · 667
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 556
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 409
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Barnard surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Barnard, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is White at 86.4%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Barnard described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Barnard at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White86.4% · 16,542
- Black or African American4.4% · 847
- Two or more races4.3% · 820
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 693
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 120
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name River has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0158% of the US population, based on 54,312 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name River right now.
The surname Barnard appears at a rate of 6.41 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0064%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 3 people with the full name River Barnard. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people named River
FAQ
River Barnard: questions and answers
How many people are named River Barnard?
We estimate approximately 3 people in the United States share the full name River Barnard. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0158%) with the surname frequency (6.41 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name River Barnard?
We classify River Barnard as "Very Rare". About 1 in 114,251,446 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is River a male or female name?
River is predominantly unisex. Out of 54,754 total SSA registrations, 66.7% were male and 33.3% were female. See the full River profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How many people have the full name River Barnard?
You can see how many people are called River Barnard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.