Given name & surname
Barnett
“of honorable birth”
Barnett is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “of honorable birth.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “of honorable birth.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Barnett through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,285
- 1,279 boys · 6 girls
- Most popular year
- 1923
- 36 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2015. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 36 in 1923. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 657 as a first name in 2020; 91,163 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Barnett’s family of names
In English usage, Barnett has a diminutive in Barney. Barnett has a related form in Barnet. In English usage, Barnett has a diminutive in Barn.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Barnett
- Barnett NewmanAmerican painter (1905—1970)
- Barnett ParkerBritish actor (1886-1941)
- Barnett RosenbergAmerican chemist (1926–2009)
- Barnett JannerBritish politician (1892–1982)
- Barnett Freedmanartist, illustrator (1901-1958)
- Barney DansonCanadian politician (1921-2011)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Barnett, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Burton
“from the fortified town”
>99% boys
Harden
“from the hare's valley”
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Norris
“a man from the north”
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Elroy
“a red-haired young man” · “a king”
>99% boys
Rupert
“one who is bright with fame”
>99% boys
Sumner
“a legal official; one who serves summons”
82% boys · 18% girls
Wilton
“from the town on the river”
>99% boys
Halton
“from the manor on the hill”
>99% boys