Given name & surname · also German, Middle English
Barrett
“having the strength of a bear”·“an argumentative person”·“one who argues”
Barrett is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “having the strength of a bear”, “an argumentative person”, and “one who argues”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “having the strength of a bear”, “an argumentative person”, and “one who argues”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Middle English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Barrett through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 34,417
- 33,425 boys · 992 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 2,178 babies
- 2025
- 2,178
- #171 for boys · #3,725 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +11%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 98% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,138 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 171 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 40 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (202). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 20,844 as a first name in 2020; 96,872 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.
Barrett’s family of names
Barrett has a related form in Barret. Barrett has a related form in Baretta. Barrett has a related form in Barett.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Barretvariant · English
- Barrettevariant
- Barettavariant
- Barettvariant
- Barrittvariant · English
- Barrattvariant
- Barratvariant
- Baretvariant
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Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Barrett
- Barrett FoaAmerican actorborn 1977
- Barrett StrongAmerican singer and songwriter (1941–2023)
- Barrett DeemsAmerican musician (1914–1998)
- Barrett Wilbert WeedAmerican singer and actressborn 1988
- Barrett MartinAmerican drummerborn 1967
- Barrett BrownAmerican journalist, essayist and satiristborn 1981
- Barrett HaytonCanadian ice hockey playerborn 2000
- Barrett WendellAmerican academic1855–1921
- Barrett RuudAmerican football playerborn 1983
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Barrett, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Beckett
“from the small brook”
95% boys · 5% girls
Baker
“one who bakes”
91% boys · 9% girls
Banks
Banks is a surname.
91% boys · 9% girls
Jett
“resembling the jet-black lustrous gemstone”
98% boys · 2% girls
Everett
“as strong as a boar; as brave as a boar”
98% boys · 2% girls
Benson
“the son of Ben”
>99% boys
Emmett
“a universal man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Rhett
“a well-spoken man”
99% boys · 1% girls