IBARRA
Ibarra is a surname of Basque origin and is derived from the place name Ibarra, which in the Basque language means “valley” or “meadow”. The name is locational, indicating that the original bearer of the name hailed from the town of Ibarra or from a similar geographical feature within the Basque region.
The surname is relatively common in the Basque Country and can now be found among Basque diaspora communities around the world. In many European countries the name appears in a variety of spellings, including Barra, Barre, Barr, Bara, Ybarra and Labarre. These variations are recorded in the Iberian Peninsula, France, England and the Americas, reflecting the historical movements of peoples across the continent.
Scholarly research indicates that the earliest recorded form of the surname is Anger de la Barra, dated 1217 in the registers of the city of London. Other early documentary references include Jean de la Barre of Chenille-Change, Maine et Loire, France in 1604, Nicole Barra of Avaux, Ardennes, France in 1702, and Alonso Barra of San Nicholas de Bart, Valladolid, Spain in 1716. These records show that the name was already widespread in the early modern period and that it crossed linguistic boundaries between French, Spanish and English speaking areas.
In addition to its locational significance, the surname has been associated with various professions and topographical features. In some historical contexts the form Barra is linked to a hilltop or summit, while other interpretations associate it with a gate or barrier, often at the entrance to a walled city, reflecting the meaning of the medieval French word barre.
Typical given names associated with the Ibarra surname
Male
- Alfonso
- Don
- Gotzon
- Javier
- Jose
Female
- Joanna
- Ramona
- Vivien
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ibarra in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 79 people named Ibarra in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Ibarra.
Origin: Iberian
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Spain
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Spanish
