NameRealm
Barry

Barry: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“fair-haired”
Origin
Irish
Say it
BAIR-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

Usually an anglicized form of Irish Bairre, associated with Finnbarr, meaning 'fair-haired'. It is also used from the surname Barry, of separate Norman origin.

Irish namesEnglish namesNames meaning beautyClassic names

How popular is Barry?

202439.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Barry in 2024130

2024 rank#1,416 boys

Peak year1962

Total US babies since 1880181,921

Barry is steady now but far below its 1962 peak.

Names like Barry

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Liamresolute protector · Irish
  • Aidenlittle fire · Irish
  • Nolandescendant of Nuallán · Irish
  • Ryanlittle king · Irish
  • Declanuncertain, possibly full of goodness · Irish
  • Connorlover of hounds · Irish
  • Kevinhandsome, gentle, kind · Irish
  • Braydendescendant of Bradán · Irish

Barry questions

What does the name Barry mean?

Barry means "fair-haired". It comes from Irish. Usually an anglicized form of Irish Bairre, associated with Finnbarr, meaning 'fair-haired'. It is also used from the surname Barry, of separate Norman origin.

Is Barry a boy or girl name?

Barry is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Barry?

130 US babies were named Barry in 2024. Its peak year was 1962.

How do you pronounce Barry?

Barry is usually pronounced BAIR-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.