Barcelo is a Catalan surname that originated in Montpellier (Lords of Montpellier), which is now located in Languedoc-Roussillon (Southern France), and was later established in other Crown of Aragon areas such as the Balearic Islands (circa 1232) or Catalonia, before spreading to the rest of Spain and its old territories beyond Europe... Barcelo is an ancient Catalan family name that has been used by people from various parts of the world. It may be used as a given name or surname. There are different theories about the origin of this name. One says it comes from the Hebrew word for prince, while another believes it comes from the Greek word for noble. Some say the family name is derived from "barcelona", which is incorrect. The correct spelling is without the h at the end. This family name was originally written "Barcio" and over time it was changed to avoid confusion with other families with the same name. For example, one branch of the family lived in Barcelona while another branch lived in El Barco (a town in Cuba). There are several variations of these names around the world. Some examples are Barak, Baryal, Barry, Bartolomeu, etc. They all come from the same root name "Barack". Barcelo is not listed as a popular first name in Spain but it is common among Jews in Israel and America.