2000
#713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.21
Uncommon Last name
Barrera
A Spanish surname meaning "barrier" or "obstacle," likely referring to a person who lived near a gate or fence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 67,882 Americans carry the last name Barrera. That puts it at #557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 19.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barrera 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
68K
1 in 5,049
Census rank
#557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
19.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
59K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 59,196 bearers of the surname Barrera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 19.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barrera
The surname Barrera is of Spanish origin, and it first emerged in the regions of Castile and Aragon during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "barrera," which means "barrier" or "rampart," and it likely referred to someone who lived near a defensive wall or fortification.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Barrera surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Barrera, particularly in the northern regions of Spain.
In the 15th century, the Barrera family held significant influence and power in the city of Seville. Juan de Barrera, a prominent nobleman born in 1435, served as a councilor to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. His son, Pedro de Barrera (1470-1542), was a renowned poet and playwright during the Spanish Renaissance.
As the Spanish Empire expanded its influence across the globe, the Barrera surname traveled to the Americas and other territories. In the 16th century, Gonzalo de Barrera (1520-1592) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.
During the 17th century, the Barrera family established itself in Mexico. One notable figure was Juan de Barrera y Leiba (1617-1684), a Jesuit priest and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of logic and metaphysics.
In the 19th century, José María Barrera (1785-1858) was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a crucial role in the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule. He served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1829 to 1833.
Throughout history, the Barrera surname has been associated with various prominent individuals across different fields, including literature, politics, and military affairs. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since spread globally, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barrera
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Barrera 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 Barrera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.6% · 54,794
- White5.2% · 3,071
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 791
- Black or African American0.3% · 198
- Two or more races0.3% · 198
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 144
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barrera
Barrera 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
#550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 60,998
+17,278 bearers (+39.5%)
Per 100,000 20.68
Rank movement Up 163 places
2020
#557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 59,196
-1,802 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 19.80
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #713 | 43,720 | 16.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #550 | 60,998 | 20.68 | +17,278 bearers (+39.5%) | Up 163 places |
| 2020 | #557 | 59,196 | 19.80 | -1,802 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 7 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 Barrera 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 | #550 | #557 | -1.3% |
| Count | 60,998 | 59,196 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 20.68 | 19.80 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barrera bearers went from 60,998 to 59,196 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #550 to #557.
FAQ
Barrera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barrera?
Name Census estimates that about 67,882 living Americans carry the surname Barrera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,049 residents.
How common is Barrera?
Barrera ranks #557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 19.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 20 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 59,196 people with the surname Barrera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (67,882), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 19.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 19.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 20 of them to have the surname Barrera.
Has Barrera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barrera went from 60,998 recorded bearers to 59,196. That is a decrease of 1,802 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #550 to #557.
What does the Census say about the background of Barrera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barrera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barrera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (54,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barrera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.6%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%). 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 Barrera (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 Barrera mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "barrier" or "obstacle," likely referring to a person who lived near a gate or fence. 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 Barrera (19.80 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 common is the surname Barrera?
You can see how common the surname Barrera is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.