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Updated August 7, 2024

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Boy name origins & meanings

  • Old English : Noble man
  • German: Mighty as a bear

What does Barrett mean and stand for?

The name Barrett is of Old English origin and means "mighty as a bear." In Middle English days it was a surname given to a quarrelsome person, meaning "strife."

Syllables: 2

How Popular Is The Name Barrett

Family name origins & meanings

  • English of much discussed but uncertain origin. : of much discussed but uncertain origin. It may be from a medieval personal name, but if so the form is unclear.
  • English of much discussed but uncertain origin. : Alternatively, it may be a nickname for a quarrelsome or deceitful person, from Middle English bar(r)et(t)e, bar(r)at ‘trouble’, ‘strife’, ‘deception’, ‘cheating’ (Old French barat ‘commerce’, ‘dealings’, a derivative of barater ‘to haggle’). It is possible that the original sense of barat survived unrecorded into Middle English as a word for a market trader; the Italian cognate Baratta has this sense. It could also be a nickname or metonymic occupational name from Old French barette ‘cap’, ‘bonnet’.

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Barrett has been steadily increasing in popularity, breaking the top 200 for the first time 2020. Each year, Barrett has managed to jump at least 10 ranks, making quite the jump from 984 in 2000.

However, it is the 27th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Barrett was at its peak popularity in October 2020.

Barrett, though mostly a boys' name, actually invokes the literary image of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Other notable namesakes include journalist Barrett Lancaster Brown, singer Marques Barrett Houston, Pink Floyd founder Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, and professional wrestler Bad News Barrett. Christina Cimorelli chose the name Bennett for her son.

Where is it Popular?

Barrett was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Barrett

  • Bar
  • Bear
  • Rett

Pairs well with these middle names

 

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