2000
#4,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.67
Uncommon Last name
Barreto
A surname of Portuguese origin derived from the word "barreto," meaning a clay jar or barrel maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,658 Americans carry the last name Barreto. That puts it at #3,435 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barreto 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 Barreto with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,401
Census rank
#3,435
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,166 bearers of the surname Barreto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3435th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barreto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barreto
The surname Barreto originated from Portugal and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "barreta," which referred to a type of cap or hat worn by clergy members. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who wore such a cap or hat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Barreto can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Martim Barreto, who lived during the reign of King Afonso III of Portugal (1210-1279).
During the Age of Exploration, the Barreto name gained prominence as Portuguese explorers and colonizers ventured to various parts of the world. In the 16th century, Francisco Barreto (1520-1573) was a Portuguese explorer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Portuguese India from 1555 to 1558.
Another notable figure with the Barreto surname was Pedro Barreto de Resende (1590-1653), a Portuguese nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Portuguese Restoration War against Spain in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, José Barreto Ferras (1712-1784) was a prominent Portuguese architect who designed several notable buildings in Lisbon, including the Church of São Roque and the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Estrela.
During the 19th century, João Barreto Correia (1820-1899) was a Portuguese politician and writer who served as a member of parliament and published several works on history and literature.
As the Portuguese empire expanded across the globe, the Barreto surname also spread to various regions, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia. Today, the name can be found in many Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as in other parts of the world where Portuguese immigrants have settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barreto
Among Census respondents with the surname Barreto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Barreto 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 Barreto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.1% · 8,449
- White13.1% · 1,328
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 201
- Black or African American1.3% · 128
- Two or more races0.5% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barreto
Barreto 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
#3,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,127
+2,918 bearers (+40.5%)
Per 100,000 3.43
Rank movement Up 1,000 places
2020
#3,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,166
+39 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.40
Rank movement Up 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,524 | 7,209 | 2.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,524 | 10,127 | 3.43 | +2,918 bearers (+40.5%) | Up 1,000 places |
| 2020 | #3,435 | 10,166 | 3.40 | +39 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 89 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 Barreto 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 | #3,524 | #3,435 | 2.5% |
| Count | 10,127 | 10,166 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.43 | 3.40 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barreto bearers went from 10,127 to 10,166 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,524 to #3,435.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barreto
FAQ
Barreto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barreto?
Name Census estimates that about 11,658 living Americans carry the surname Barreto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,401 residents.
How common is Barreto?
Barreto ranks #3,435 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,166 people with the surname Barreto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Barreto.
Has Barreto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barreto went from 10,127 recorded bearers to 10,166. That is an increase of 39 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,524 to #3,435.
What does the Census say about the background of Barreto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barreto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Barreto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (8,449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barreto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.1%), White (13.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Barreto (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 Barreto mean?
A surname of Portuguese origin derived from the word "barreto," meaning a clay jar or barrel maker. 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 Barreto (3.40 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 Barreto?
See how common the surname Barreto is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.