Explore the Family Name Barabas
The meaning of Barabas
Hungarian and Spanish (Barabás); Polish (Barabaś); Czech (Barabáš); Slovak (also Barabás and Barabáš); Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian (Barabaš): from the New Testament personal name Barabbas, meaning ‘son of Abba’ or ‘son of the father’ in Aramaic. This was the name borne by the thief whose life was demanded by the crowd in Jerusalem in preference to that of Jesus (Matthew 27:15–21). In Central Europe it came to be used as a personal name, with reference to a reformed or repentant sinner, one whose life had been saved by Jesus’s self-sacrifice. The surname Barabás or Barabas of Hungarian origin is also found in Romania, where it is also spelled Barabaş. In North America, the surname Barabas is also an altered form of the Polish variant Barabasz. Some characteristic forenames: Hungarian Attila, Zoltan, Akos, Bela, Gabor, Istvan, Miklos, Sandor.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Barabas in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Barabas saw a minor decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 35,487th most popular in the United States but fell to 37,391st by 2010, reflecting a change of -5.37%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also decreased slightly from 600 in 2000 to 596 in 2010, a negligible decrease of -0.67%. The proportion per 100,000 people declined by -9.09% going from 0.22 to 0.2.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,487 | #37,391 | -5.37% |
| Count | 600 | 596 | -0.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.22 | 0.2 | -9.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Barabas
In terms of ethnicity, the U.S. Decennial Census data reveals that most individuals with the surname Barabas identify as White, with numbers increasing slightly from 95.83% in 2000 to 96.14% in 2010. Hispanic identification also saw a rise from 1.83% in 2000 to 2.18% in 2010, an increase of 19.13%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or belonging to two or more races were recorded in 2000, but not in 2010. There were no recorded instances of this surname among people identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native for either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.83% | 96.14% | 0.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 2.18% | 19.13% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.5% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.83% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |