Barrett
Barrett was the 171st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,138 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 142 places. More babies were named Barrett in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Norman French, English
Say it BAIR-it /ˈbɛrɪt/
- Rank in 2025
- #171 boys, up 22 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,138boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,138 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,417babies recorded
What does the name Barrett mean?
Barrett is a surname found in England and Ireland. Wiktionary says it merged from several sources, including an Old French word barat, 'trickery, dispute', and a Middle English nickname for a quarrelsome person; Wikipedia gives a Norman origin translating loosely as 'warlike' or 'troublesome'. Norman settlers brought it to Ireland, where it became established. As a first name it is a recent American transfer.
barat (Old French, “trickery, dispute”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A surname of several merged origins; the 'quarrelsome' sense is the most cited.
Related names: Barret, Barrette.
See also: French names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Barrett', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Barrett (surname)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Barrett popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 992 since 1965, 40 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #171 | 2,138 |
| 2020 | #193 | 2,010 |
| 2010 | #541 | 468 |
| 2000 | #984 | 151 |
| 1990 | #698 | 213 |
| 1980 | #636 | 187 |
| 1970 | #825 | 96 |
| 1960 | #876 | 75 |
| 1950 | #1,141 | 39 |
| 1940 | #1,069 | 37 |
| 1930 | #2,190 | 13 |
| 1920 | #1,893 | 18 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Barrett, counting every spelling?
Barrett is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #182 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #171 for Barrett on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,168 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett | 2,138 | #171 | 9,665 |
| Barret | 30 | #3,670 | 123 |
| Barett | — | — | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Barrett?
2,138 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Barrett (0.59 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Barrett born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Barrett.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Barrett?
About 31,900 people born in the US named Barrett are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 18. That makes Barrett a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Barrett by state
How common Barrett was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (5.1×), Nebraska (4.3×), Montana (3.8×), Alaska (3.2×), South Dakota (3.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Delaware, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Barrett: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Barrett, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Barrett · Sibling names for Barrett
Questions about the name Barrett
What does Barrett mean?
The origin of Barrett is uncertain: a surname of several merged origins; the 'quarrelsome' sense is the most cited.
How popular is the name Barrett?
Barrett was the 171st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,138 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 142 places. More babies were named Barrett in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Barrett a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Barrett in the US.
Where is Barrett most popular?
In 2021–2025, Barrett was most common in Wyoming (5.70 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nebraska and Montana.