Barry is both a given name and an Irish and West African surname . The given name can be an Anglicised form of some Irish personal names or shortened form of Barrington or Finbarr , while the surname has numerous etymological origins, and is derived from both place names and personal names.
Etymology
Of given name
The given name Barry is derived from Gaelic ,[ 1] possibly being an Anglicised form of the personal name Báire , which is a short form of the related Irish names Bairrfhionn [ 2] or Barrfind ("fair-headed", "fair-haired"),[ 3] and Finbar or Fionnbharr ("fair-topped", "fair-haired").[ 4]
For example, Barry is sometimes derived from the Irish Bairre , Barra , and Barre , which are in turn forms of the name Barrfind .[ 5] Furthermore, Barry is sometimes an Anglicised form of the Irish Finnbarr , which also has short forms of Bairre , Barra , and Barre .[ 6] Similarly, Barry is sometimes an Anglicised form of the latter short form Barra .[ 7] In other cases, Barry is an Anglicised form of the Irish Berach ("pointed", "spear", "sharp").[ 8]
Since the twentieth century, the name has become very popular in Australia . A variant form of the given name is Barrie . In the Netherlands the form Berry is also used. Pet forms of the name are Baz and Bazza .[ 9]
Barry may also be a hypocorism for Bartholomew or Barton .[citation needed ]
As a given name, Barry is currently less common than it once was. It rose in popularity in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, and was in the top 100 names through the 1970s. In recent years, the name has not even made the US top 1000 list of names (the last time was in 2004, when it ranked 963). Barry's highest rank was 61, which was achieved in 1962.[ 10]
US President Barack Obama was called by the nickname Barry when younger, which he eventually halted.[ 11]
Barry as a given name may also be from the surname, as with Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore , whose mother's maiden name was Barry.
Of surname
The surname Barry has numerous origins.
In some cases, the surname Barry is an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó Beargha , meaning "descendant of Beargh ". The byname Beargh means "plunderer" or "spear-like". In other cases Barry is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Báire , meaning "descendant of Báire ".[ 4] Alternatively, Barry is a patronymic form of the personal name Henry .[ 2] In such cases, the name is partly derived from the Welsh ap Harry , as is the case of the similar surname Parry .[ 12] In other cases, the surname Barry is derived from a place name, sometimes seemingly of Continental origin,[ 13] and sometimes from a British place name, such as Barry, Angus in Scotland .[ 14]
The surname Barry , when originating in Ireland , is chiefly derived from the Cambro-Norman family of de Barry (from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan ), who were prominent in the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland .[ 15] In Irish, this family's name is rendered de Barra . In Ireland , the surname Barry occurs most commonly in Munster and south Leinster . The concentrations of the surname in County Limerick could correspond with the Ó Beargha origin of the name, while the concentration of the surname in West Cork could correspond with the Ó Báire origin.[ 16]
There is a surname Barry , variant form of the rarer Barri , typical of the south of France, that means "rampart, city wall" and by extension "suburb", that is to say "somebody from the suburb or living near the rampart". Variant forms include Delbarry and Dubarry .[ 17]
Barry is also a common surname among the Fula people in West Africa (Fula : 𞤄𞤢𞤪𞤭 , romanized: Bari ).[ 18]
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 59.3% of all known bearers of the surname Barry were residents of Guinea (frequency 1:17), 14.7% of Burkina Faso (1:104), 5.4% of the United States (1:5,629), 4.5% of Senegal (1:274), 3.7% of Mali (1:384), 1.2% of England (1:3,951), 1.1% of Ireland (1:362) and 1.0% of Australia (1:2,004).[ 19]
People with the surname
A. Constantine Barry (1815–1888), American educator and politician
Alice Mary Barry (1880–1955), Irish doctor
Alfred Barry (1826–1910), Anglican Bishop of Sydney; second son of Charles Barry
Angela Barry , Bermudian writer and educator
Ann Street Barry (1734–1801), English actress; second wife of Spranger Barry
Bonny Barry (born 1960), Australian politician
Brent Barry (born 1971), American sports commentator and basketball player; third son of Rick Barry
Brian Barry (1936–2009), British philosopher
Canyon Barry (born 1994), American basketball player; youngest son of Rick Barry
Charles Barry (1795–1860), English architect, main designer of the Palace of Westminster
Charles Barry Jr. (1823–1900), English architect; eldest son of Charles Barry
Christian Barry , American philosopher
Christopher Barry (1925–2014), British television director
Claudja Barry (born 1952), Jamaican-Canadian singer and actress
B. Constance Barry , American actor
Damion Barry (born 1982), Trinidadian sprinter
Daniel Barry (disambiguation)
Dave Barry (born 1947), American author and columnist, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
David Barry (disambiguation)
David de Barry, 5th Viscount Barry (c. 1550 –1617), Irish peer
Dede Barry (born 1972), American cyclist
Denis Barry (1929–2003), president of the United States Chess Federation (1993–96)
Denny Barry (1883–1923), Irish Republican, died during the 1923 Irish hunger strikes
Diana Barry (born 1986), Scottish footballer
Dick Barry (1926–2013), American politician and lawyer
Donald T. Barry (1928–2017), American politician
Don "Red" Barry (1912–1980), American film actor
Drew Barry (born 1973), American retired basketball player; fourth son of Rick Barry
Edward B. Barry (1849–1939), American rear admiral
Edward Middleton Barry (1830–1880), English architect; third son of Charles Barry
Elizabeth Barry (1658–1713), English actress
Fred Barry (1948–2016), American football player in the National Football League
Frederick G. Barry (1845–1909), member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Gareth Barry (born 1981), English footballer
Garret Barry (disambiguation)
Gene Barry (1919–2009), American stage, screen and television actor
Gerald Barry (disambiguation)
GK Barry (born 1999), stage name of Grace Keeling, English influencer and presenter
Glenn Barry, American musician, bass player in the symphonic metal band Kamelot
Grant Barry , American musician
Hilary Barry (born 1969), New Zealand television personality
Jack Barry (disambiguation)
James Barry (disambiguation)
James de Barry, 4th Viscount Buttevant (1520–1581), Irish peer
Jason Barry-Smith (born 1969), Australian operatic baritone, vocal coach, composer and arranger
Jeff Barry (born 1938), American pop music songwriter, singer and record producer
Jeff Barry (baseball) (born 1968), was a Major League Baseball player
J. Esmonde Barry (1923–2007), Canadian healthcare activist and political commentator
Joan Barry (disambiguation)
Joe Barry (disambiguation) , several people
John Barry (disambiguation)
John Wolfe Barry (1836–1918), English civil engineer, co-designer of Tower Bridge; youngest son of Charles Barry
Jon Barry (born 1969), American television analyst and basketball player; second son of Rick Barry
Jonathan Barry (born 1988), Bahamian cricketer
Jonathan B. Barry (born 1945), American Democratic politician, businessman, and farmer
Joseph Barry (born 1940), American real estate developer
Joyce Barry (1919–1999), Australian cyclist
Julian Barry (1930–2023), American screenwriter and playwright
Kate Barry (1752–1823), heroine of the American Revolutionary War
Keane Barry (born 2002), Irish darts player
Keith Barry (born 1976), Irish illusionist, mentalist and close-up magician
Kevin Barry (1902–1920), Irish Republican Army member
Kevin Barry (boxer) (born 1959), New Zealand boxer, boxing trainer and manager
Krystal Barry , American beauty queen
Kyra Tirana Barry (born 1966), Team Leader for the United States Women's National wrestling team
Len Barry (1942–2020), American singer, songwriter and record producer
Leo Barry (born 1977), Australian rules footballer
Liam Barry (born 1971), New Zealand rugby union player
Luís Barry (born 1982), Portuguese football player known simply as Barry
Lyall Barry , New Zealand swimmer
Lynda Barry (born 1956), American cartoonist, author, and teacher
Lynn Norenberg Barry (born 1959), American basketball player and administrator; current wife of Rick Barry and mother of Canyon Barry
Madame du Barry (1743–1793), French courtier
Mamadou Barry , Guinean footballer
Margaret Stuart Barry (1927–2022), English writer
Marion Barry (1936–2014), American politician
Martin Barry (1802–1855), British physician and embryologist
Marty Barry (1905–1969), Canadian ice hockey player
Mary Barry , Canadian musician
Mary F. Barry (1859–1919), American doctor and politician
Maryanne Trump Barry (1937–2013), American attorney
Max Barry (born 1973), Australian author
Michael Barry (disambiguation)
Morris Barry (1918–2000), English TV producer
Norman Barry (1897–1988), American judge, politician, and football coach
Norman P. Barry (1944–2008), English philosopher
Odell Barry (1941–2022), American football player
Pat Barry (kickboxer) (born 1979), American kickboxer and retired mixed martial artist
Patricia Barry (1922–2016), American actress
Patrick Barry (disambiguation)
Paul Barry (disambiguation) , several people
Peter Barry (politician) (1928–2016), Irish Fine Gael politician and businessman
Philip Barry (1896–1949), American dramatist
Rahmane Barry (born 1986), Senegalese footballer
Ralph Andrews Barry (1883–1939), philatelic writer
Raymond J. Barry (born 1939), American actor
Redmond Barry (1813–1880), Anglo-Irish-Australian judge
Richard Barry (disambiguation)
Rick Barry (born 1944), American basketball player
Robert L. Barry (born 1934), American diplomat
Rod Barry , American pornographic actor
Rugie Barry , Liberian politician
Sam Barry (1892–1959), American sportsman
Scooter Barry (born 1966), American basketball player; oldest son of Rick Barry
Sebastian Barry (born 1955), Irish writer
Sékoumar Barry (born 1935), Guinean film director and screenwriter
Seydou Barry (1943–2007), Senegalese painter
Spranger Barry (1719–1777), Irish actor
Stuart Milner-Barry (1906–1995), British codebreaker, civil servant and chess player
Susan R. Barry , American neurobiologist
Sy Barry (born 1928), American comic-strip artist
Tadhg Barry (1880–1921), leading Irish Republican, trade unionist, poet, and GAA official
Thomas A. Barry (c. 1879 –1947), American college football coach and player, lawyer, and industrial adviser
Todd Barry (born 1964), American actor and comedian
Tom Barry (Irish republican) (1897–1980), Irish republican leader
Tom Barry (screenwriter) (1885–1931), American screenwriter
Toni Barry (born 1961), British voice actress
Tony Barry (1941–2022), Australian actor
Viola Barry (1894–1964), American film actress
Warren E. Barry , American politician
Wesley Barry (1907–1994), American child actor
William Barry (disambiguation)
People with Barry as a given name
Those for whom Barry is a hypocoristic for another given name are listed separately .
Barry Alvarez (born 1946), American football coach and sports administrator
Barry Asher , American bowler
Barry Atsma , Dutch actor
Barry Austin (1968–2021), heaviest man in the United Kingdom
Barry Bannan , Scottish footballer
Barry K. Barnes , English stage and screen actor
Barry Beckett , American musician
Barry Bonds (born 1964), American baseball player
Barry Bostwick , American actor
Barry Brickell (1935–2016), New Zealand potter, writer, conversationist and founder
Barry Chuckle , (1944–2018) English comedian and half of the Chuckle Brothers double act
Barry Cottle (born 1961/62), American businessman, CEO of Scientific Games Corporation
Barry Crane , American television producer and bridge player
Barry Cryer , British comedian
Barry Davies , BBC sports commentator
Barry Derickson , American college football coach for the Sul Ross Lobos
Barry Diller , American businessman
Barry Evans (disambiguation)
Barry Fantoni , British writer, painter and jazz musician
Barry Ferguson , footballer who formerly played for Scotland and Blackpool FC
Barry Fitzgerald , Irish and American stage and motion picture actor
Barry George (born 1960), British criminal
Barry Gibb (born 1946), English singer and musician, member of the Bee Gees
Barry Goldwater (1909–1998), American politician
Barry Hall , Australian rules footballer
Barry Hawkins , English snooker player
Barry Hay , Dutch singer
Barry Hearn , English sporting events promoter
Barry Heneghan , Irish politician
Barry L. Houser , American band director and conductor, currently the director of the Marching Illini at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Barry Humphries (1934–2023), Australian comedian
Barry Jackson (director) , English theatre director and founder of the Birmingham Repertory
Barry John (born 1945), Welsh rugby union player
Barry Jones (disambiguation)
Barry Joule (born 1954/55), Canadian writer
Barry Keoghan , Irish actor
Barry Kramer , American basketball player and jurist
Barry Larkin (born 1964), American baseball player
Barry Latman , American baseball player
Barry Leibowitz (born 1945), American-Israeli basketball player
Barry Levinson , American film director
Barry Lopez , American author
Barry Lewis (cook) , British YouTuber
Barry Lewis (cricketer) , English cricketer
Barry MacKay (actor) (1906–1985), British stage and screen actor
Barry Manilow , American singer
Barry McConnell , English footballer
Barry Melrose , Canadian hockey player/coach/commentator
Barry Moreland (born 1943), Australian dancer and choreographer
Barry Cennydd Morgan , former Archbishop of Wales
Barry C. Morgrage , American politician
Barry Nadech , Thai model and actor
Barry Nelson , American actor
Barry Newman , American actor
Barry Norman , British film critic
Barry O'Farrell , Australian politician
Barry Otto , Australian actor
Barry Paul (born 1948), British Olympic fencer
Barry Pepper , Canadian actor
Barry Richards (born 1945) South African cricketer
Barry Richardson (disambiguation)
Barry Ryan , English singer
Barry Sanders , American football player
Barry Sheene , British motorcycle racer
Barry Silkman (born 1952), English footballer
Barry Simon , American mathematical physicist
Barry Smit , Canadian integrated geographer and climate researcher
Barry Sullivan (actor) , American actor
Barry Sullivan (disambiguation) , multiple people
Barry Switzer , American football coach
Barry Took , British screenwriter
Barry Van Dyke , American actor
Barry Waddell (born 1936), Australian cyclist
Barry Wesley (born 1999), American football player
Barry White , American singer
Barry Williams (disambiguation)
Barry Wynks (1952–2020), New Zealand lawn bowler
People with Barry as a hypocoristic
John Finbar Cassin (1924–2017), Irish actor
Barrington Cunliffe (born 1939), British archaeologist and academic
Bernard Freundel (born 1951), former rabbi and convicted voyeur
Barrington Hayles (born 1972), British footballer
Francis Barrington Hall (1921–2013), Australian diplomat and public servant
Bernardus Hulshoff (1946–2020), Dutch footballer
Finbar Patrick McGuigan (born 1961), Irish boxing promoter and retired boxer
Barron Rogers (1935–1991), American jazz and salsa trombonist
Adler Berriman Seal (1939–1986), American airline pilot, drug smuggler and informant
Bernard Sherman (1942–2017), Canadian billionaire, businessman, philanthropist and murder victim
People with Barry as a nickname
Fictional characters with the given name
Barry "Bear" Baricza, a character from the TV series CHiPs
Barry Eisenberg, a main character on the show, Best Friends Whenever
Barry (American Dad! ) , a character on the TV series American Dad!
Barry (Pokémon ) , a character from the Pokémon video game series.
Barry and Co. , characters in the Conker series
Barry Allen , The Flash's real name
Barry Barry , a character from the TV series Waterloo Road
Barry Bluejeans, character from The Adventure Zone podcast
Barry Berkman/Barry Block on the TV series Barry
Barry, Steve Levy's partner in George Shrinks
Barry Benson, the protagonist in Bee Movie
Barry Burton from Resident Evil
Barry Dejay, the color commentary in Backyard Basketball
Barry Dylan, a character from the adult animated sitcom Archer
Barry Egan, a character portrayed by Adam Sandler in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Punch-Drunk Love .
Barry Evans (EastEnders ) , a character from the TV series EastEnders
Barry Goldberg, a character in the TV sitcom The Goldbergs
Barry Foster, a character portrayed by Clark Duke on the TV series Two and a Half Men
Barry Judd, a character portrayed by Jack Black in the movie High Fidelity
Barry Kripke , a character on the TV series The Big Bang Theory
Redmond Barry of Ballybarry, title character of the novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon and its 1975 film adaptation Barry Lyndon
Barry McKenzie , Australian comic strip and movie character
Barry the Chopper , a character from the manga/anime series Fullmetal Alchemist
Barry the Strawberry, a character from the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 .
Barry Walker, a character in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
Barry Wheeler, a character in the video game Alan Wake
Barry Swift/Man in a Hurry, a reoccurring character in the Hatchetfield trilogy by Team StarKid
See also
Citations
^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. xvii.
^ a b Barry Family History (n.d.) .
^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) pp. 29, 101.
^ a b Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; Barry Family History (n.d.) .
^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 29.
^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 28, 342; Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 101.
^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 28, 342.
^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 31.
^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 28.
^ "Boys Names" , Popularity and Meaning of Barry , BestLittleBaby.com, retrieved 11 July 2016
^ Wolffe, Richard (March 22, 2008). "When Barry Became Barack" . Newsweek .
^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 339; Barry Family History (n.d.) ; Parry Family History (n.d.) .
^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30.
^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; Black (1971) p. 57.
^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; MacLysaght (1972) pp. 52–54.
^ de Bhulbh (1997) p. 136.
^ Albert Dauzat , Noms et prénoms de France , Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet , p. 28a.
^ Kelly, Maura (27 July 2011). "Does Dominique Strauss-Kahn's accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, have the most common surname in Guinea?" . Slate Magazine . Retrieved 22 July 2021 . ...almost all Fulbe have one of four family names: Diallo, also spelled Jalloh; Barry; Balde, also spelled Bah; and Sow. (Diallo is not any more popular than the other three names.) About two-fifths of all Guineans are Fulbe, and they live in smaller concentrations in other countries throughout West Africa, with significant clusters in Senegal and Mali...
^ "Barry Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History" . forebears.io .
General references
"Barry Family History" . Ancestry.com . n.d. Retrieved 13 September 2015 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: year (link )
"Parry Family History" . Ancestry.com . n.d. Retrieved 13 September 2015 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: year (link )
Black, GF (1971) [1946]. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History . New York: The New York Public Library . ISBN 0-87104-172-3 . OL 8346130M – via Open Library .
de Bhulbh, S (1997). Sloinnte na h-Éireann: Irish Surnames . Limerick: Comhar-Chumann Íde Naofa Teo. ISBN 0-9530560-0-7 . OL 316008M .
Hanks, P ; Hardcastle, K; Hodges, F (2006) [1990]. A Dictionary of First Names . Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press . ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1 .
MacLysaght, E (1972). Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins (3rd ed.). New York: Crown Publishers. OL 23251759M – via Open Library .
Ó Corráin, D ; Maguire, F (1981). Gaelic Personal names . Dublin: Academy Press. ISBN 0-906187-39-7 .
Reaney, PH (1995). Wilson, RM (ed.). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press . ISBN 0-19-8631464 .