Explore the Family Name Barber
The meaning of Barber
1. English: occupational name for a barber, from Middle English barb(o)ur ‘barber’ (Anglo-Norman French barber, Old French barbier, from Late Latin barbarius, a derivative of barba ‘beard’). In the Middle Ages barbers not only cut hair and shaved beards, but also practiced surgery and pulled teeth. 2. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from German Barbier ‘barber’ (compare 1 above). 3. Catalan: occupational name for a barber, barber (see 1 above). 4. Slovenian and Croatian; Hungarian (Barbér): occupational name for a barber, of German origin (see Barbier, compare 1 above and 2 above). 5. Americanized form of any of numerous cognates of 1 above in different languages, for example Spanish Barbero, Portuguese Barbeiro, French Barbier, Italian Barbieri. 6. Altered form of French Barbeau.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Barber in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Barber" has been fairly popular but has seen a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from the 376th position to the 406th. However, the total count of people with this surname has increased by 3.06% from 76,504 in 2000 to 78,848 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with this name per 100,000 people has also seen a slight decrease of 5.75%, indicating that while the absolute number of people with this surname has grown, its prevalence relative to other surnames has dropped slightly.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #376 | #406 | -7.98% |
| Count | 76,504 | 78,848 | 3.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 28.36 | 26.73 | -5.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Barber
Regarding ethnic identity, "Barber" is predominantly found among those identifying as White, with a percentage of 77.88 in 2000 dropping slightly to 75.48% in 2010. This data is again based on the Decennial U.S. Census. The second most common ethnicity for this surname is Black, which increased from 17.4% in 2000 to 18.38% in 2010. Other ethnicities associated with the surname include Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. Notably, the Hispanic representation among those with the "Barber" surname saw the highest increase over the decade, growing by 52.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.88% | 75.48% | -3.08% |
| Black | 17.4% | 18.38% | 5.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 2.39% | 52.23% |
| Two or More Races | 1.6% | 2.08% | 30% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.99% | 1.02% | 3.03% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.64% | 16.36% |
Barber ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Barber is British & Irish, which comprises 53.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.4%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.4% |
| French & German | 22.4% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Barber
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Barber have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
What Barber haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Barber is R-DF19, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF19 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Baker, May, White, Smith, Brown, Green, Saunders, Hill, Clark, Cooper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Barber surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Barber have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Barber" Surname 44.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Barber" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Barber" Surname 22.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Barber" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Barber?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Barber are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition