Barrie
Barrie was not among the names given to 5 or more boys in 2025. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 859th with 58 babies. More babies were named Barrie in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Barry) fair-haired (Irish Fionnbharr) · Irish
- Rank in 2025
- Not rankedboys
- Babies in 2025
- 0boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194258 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,045babies recorded
What does the name Barrie mean?
Barrie is a spelling of Barry, pronounced the same way, so it shares Barry's meaning and origin.
Barry is the anglicized form of the Irish name Bairre, a short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn 'white, fair' and barr 'head', so 'fair-haired', as Wiktionary notes. Saint Finbarr is the patron of Cork. Barry is also a surname, which Wiktionary notes can come from place names in Scotland and Wales, and it can be a pet form of Bartholomew. It was popular in the US and Britain in the mid-20th century.
fionn (Irish, “white, fair”)barr (Irish, “head, top”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Finbar, Barra, Bairre.
See also: Irish names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Barry', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'fionn' (Irish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Barrie popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | #7,355 | — | 11 | — |
| 1980 | #4,340 | #4,536 | 17 | 8 |
| 1970 | #2,203 | #2,910 | 36 | 11 |
| 1960 | #1,029 | #1,658 | 109 | 24 |
| 1950 | #2,547 | #1,538 | 16 | 23 |
| 1940 | #2,042 | #941 | 16 | 46 |
| 1930 | #4,084 | #2,191 | 6 | 13 |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Barrie, counting every spelling?
Barrie is a spelling of Barry, a name family that ranked #1,436 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together. Together these spellings went to 114 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barry | 114 | #1,520 | 594 |
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 old are people named Barrie?
About 700 people born in the US named Barrie are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 57 and 79. That makes Barrie a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Barrie by state
How common Barrie was among boys born in each state in 1940–1944, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (3.2×). In 47 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Barrie: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Barrie, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Barrie
What does Barrie mean?
Barrie is a spelling of Barry, which means “fair-haired (Irish Fionnbharr)” (Irish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Barrie?
Barrie was not among the names given to 5 or more boys in 2025. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 859th with 58 babies. More babies were named Barrie in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Barrie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Barrie in the US.
Where was Barrie most popular?
In 1940–1944, Barrie was most common in Pennsylvania (0.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and Massachusetts.