2000
#1,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,749
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.40
Uncommon Last name
Barlow
From a place name meaning "barley hill" in Old English, or a person who lived near such a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,287 Americans carry the last name Barlow. That puts it at #1,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barlow 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 Barlow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
37K
1 in 9,192
Census rank
#1,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 32,516 bearers of the surname Barlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barlow
The surname Barlow originated in England, deriving from the Old English words 'bearu' meaning 'grove' or 'thicket' and 'hlaw' meaning 'hill' or 'mound'. It is thought to have been a topographic name given to someone who lived near a grassy hill or mound covered in trees.
The earliest recorded use of the name Barlow dates back to the late 12th century in Derbyshire, where it appeared as 'de Barlowe' in the Pipe Rolls of 1199. This suggests the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a specific location with these geographical features.
In the 13th century, the surname Barlow appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled 'de Barlow'. This spelling variation indicates the name was initially formed as a habitation name, referring to someone from a place called Barlow.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger de Barlow, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another early record is of William de Barlow, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Barlow. However, it does mention several places with names similar to Barlow, such as Barleye in Derbyshire and Barlawe in Cheshire, suggesting the name may have originated from one of these locations.
A notable figure in history with the surname Barlow was William Barlow, who was the Bishop of Lincoln from 1608 to 1613. He played a significant role in the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, which helped shape the King James Bible.
Another prominent individual was Sir Samuel Barlow, a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Jamaica from 1679 to 1686. He was known for his efforts to improve the island's defenses and infrastructure.
In the field of literature, Jane Barlow (1857-1917) was an English novelist and children's writer who authored several popular books, including "Irish Idylls" and "Bog-Land Studies".
The name Barlow also has connections to the American Civil War, with Francis Channing Barlow (1834-1896), a lawyer and Union Army general who fought in several major battles, including Gettysburg and Antietam.
Finally, Joel Barlow (1754-1812) was an American poet and diplomat who served as the United States Minister to France during the French Revolution. He is best known for his epic poem "The Columbiad".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Barlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Barlow 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 Barlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 25,595
- Black or African American12.8% · 4,174
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,250
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 940
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 332
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 225
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barlow
Barlow 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
#1,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,335
+2,586 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 11.30
Rank movement Down 6 places
2020
#1,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,516
-819 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 10.88
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,041 | 30,749 | 11.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,047 | 33,335 | 11.30 | +2,586 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 6 places |
| 2020 | #1,062 | 32,516 | 10.88 | -819 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 15 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 Barlow 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 | #1,047 | #1,062 | -1.4% |
| Count | 33,335 | 32,516 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 11.30 | 10.88 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barlow bearers went from 33,335 to 32,516 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,047 to #1,062.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barlow
FAQ
Barlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barlow?
Name Census estimates that about 37,287 living Americans carry the surname Barlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,192 residents.
How common is Barlow?
Barlow ranks #1,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 32,516 people with the surname Barlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (37,287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Barlow.
Has Barlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barlow went from 33,335 recorded bearers to 32,516. That is a decrease of 819 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,047 to #1,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Barlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Barlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (25,595 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (12.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Barlow (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 Barlow mean?
From a place name meaning "barley hill" in Old English, or a person who lived near such a hill. 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 Barlow (10.88 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 are called Barlow?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Barlow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.