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Barrera Family History

Barrera Surname Meaning

Spanish and Catalan: topographic name for someone who lived near a gate or fence from barrera ‘barrier’ or a habitational name from one of the numerous places called Barrera named with the same word.

Spanish: topographic name for someone who lived by a clay pit.

Spanish barrera barrero (a derivative of barro ‘mud clay’).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Barrera family from?

You can see how Barrera families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barrera family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Barrera families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 238 Barrera families living in Texas. This was about 96% of all the recorded Barrera's in USA. Texas had the highest population of Barrera families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barrera surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Barrera ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Barrera. 39% of Barrera men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Barrera women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barrera were Clerk and Laundress.

View Census Data for Barrera | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    39%
  • Farm Laborer
    8%
  • Farmer
    8%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    12%
  • Seamstress
    11%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Laundress
    8%

What Barrera family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 33,000 census records available for the last name Barrera. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barrera census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Barrera

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Barrera. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Barrera immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Barrera. For the veterans among your Barrera ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Barrera military records

You've only scratched the surface of Barrera family history

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What is the average Barrera lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Barrera life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Barrera in 1942 was 37, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barrera

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Barrera ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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