2000
#325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 85,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 31.59
Uncommon Last name
Barker
An occupational surname referring to a person who stripped bark from trees for tanning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 96,310 Americans carry the last name Barker. That puts it at #369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,559 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barker 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 Barker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
96K
1 in 3,559
Census rank
#369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
84K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 83,987 bearers of the surname Barker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barker
The surname Barker has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "barkere," meaning a person who stripped and prepared bark for use in tanning leather.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barkere" in various counties across England, including Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in different regions of the country by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "le Barkere" and "Barkare," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. These spellings were often influenced by the local dialects and scribes' interpretations.
One notable example from history is William Barker (c. 1365-1423), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1416. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in negotiations with the King during the tumultuous period of the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent figure was Christopher Barker (c. 1529-1599), an English printer and publisher who held the prestigious position of Queen's Printer under Elizabeth I. He was responsible for printing some of the most important works of the time, including translations of the Bible.
In the 17th century, the Barker surname was well-represented in various parts of England. One notable example is Robert Barker (1580-1645), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Dean of Arches, a prestigious ecclesiastical court position.
During the 18th century, the name continued to be widely distributed across England. One notable figure from this period was Matthew Barker (1619-1698), an English physician and writer who published influential works on natural philosophy and medical topics.
In the 19th century, the Barker surname gained global recognition with the exploits of Sir Robert Barker (1789-1854), an English painter and inventor who patented the first modern panoramic painting technique, known as the "Panorama."
These examples illustrate the widespread presence and historical significance of the Barker surname, which has its roots in the occupational traditions of medieval England and has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, printers, clergymen, physicians, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barker
Among Census respondents with the surname Barker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Barker 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 Barker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 69,762
- Black or African American8.0% · 6,691
- Two or more races4.1% · 3,462
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 2,930
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 651
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 491
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barker
Barker 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
#360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 87,162
+1,941 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 29.55
Rank movement Down 35 places
2020
#369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 83,987
-3,175 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 28.10
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #325 | 85,221 | 31.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #360 | 87,162 | 29.55 | +1,941 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 35 places |
| 2020 | #369 | 83,987 | 28.10 | -3,175 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 9 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 Barker 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 | #360 | #369 | -2.5% |
| Count | 87,162 | 83,987 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 29.55 | 28.10 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barker bearers went from 87,162 to 83,987 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #360 to #369.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barker
FAQ
Barker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barker?
Name Census estimates that about 96,310 living Americans carry the surname Barker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,559 residents.
How common is Barker?
Barker ranks #369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 28 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 83,987 people with the surname Barker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (96,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 28 of them to have the surname Barker.
Has Barker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barker went from 87,162 recorded bearers to 83,987. That is a decrease of 3,175 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #360 to #369.
What does the Census say about the background of Barker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barker, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Barker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (69,762 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Barker (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 Barker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who stripped bark from trees for tanning. 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 Barker (28.10 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 have the last name Barker?
Find out how many people are called Barker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.