Barbieri
An Italian occupational surname meaning “barbers,” originally referring to someone who cut hair or shaved beards.
The #7,545 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,058 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Barbieri is the plural form of the Italian word barbiere, “barber.” That word goes back to Latin barba, meaning “beard,” so the surname originally pointed to a barber by trade, or to a family connected with barbering. In Italian surname formation, the plural often marks a family group, so Barbieri can be understood as “the barbers” or “family of the barber.”
History
The name is well established in Italy and is especially common in northern and central regions, though it appears across the peninsula. As with many occupational surnames, it became hereditary over time and was later carried abroad by Italian emigrants, including to the United States. Modern bearers may have no direct connection to the trade, but the surname still preserves the family’s original professional label.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is a plural surname, Barbieri literally looks like a family name in the plural: “the barbers.”