The Barber surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 78,848 people carried this name — #406 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,740 people counted. That is up 3% from 76,504 in 2000.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 18 births for the Barber name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 3 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 498 people named Barber live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 296 people named Barber.
Most of them — 169 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 27 départements, most often Essonne.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
81 people named Barber live in Switzerland.
They live in 11 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
22 people named Barber have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 57 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 2 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
40 people named Barber is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Barber in American newspapers,
1901–1908.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,951,101 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Barber,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Francis Barber 1750–1783 · schoolmaster -
Thomas Barber 1771–1843 · painter -
John Thomas Barber Beaumont 1774–1841 · painter -
Polly Barber 1803–1898 · teacher -
William Barber 1808–1889 · politician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 235 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Barber.
- Barbas 313 · U.S. census
- Barbat 212 · U.S. census
- Barbato 2,437 · U.S. census
- Barbay 304 · U.S. census
- Barbe 1,097 · U.S. census
- Barbeau 1,971 · U.S. census
- Barbera 3,696 · U.S. census
- Barberan 194 · U.S. census
- Barberi 502 · U.S. census
- Barberio 760 · U.S. census
- Barberis 313 · U.S. census
- Barbero 797 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Barber is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.