At a Glance: Name: Barrett – Meaning: surname of disputed origin, linked to a root meaning 'quarrelsome' or to Old French for 'trickery/deception' – Origin: English/Irish surname (Anglo-Norman origin) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: BAIR-it
Barrett is an English/Irish surname (Anglo-Norman origin) boy's name meaning “surname of disputed origin, linked to a root meaning 'quarrelsome' or to Old French for 'trickery/deception'”. It appears in 3 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Barrett
Meaning: Surname of disputed origin, linked to a root meaning 'quarrelsome' or to Old French for 'trickery/deception'.
Origin: English/Irish surname (Anglo-Norman origin).
A common claim: Commonly said to mean 'bear strength' or 'strong as a bear,' as if related to Germanic names like Bernard. Actually: This confuses Barrett with Germanic 'bear' names like Bernard -- Barrett is actually an English/Irish surname of Anglo-Norman origin with a root meaning 'quarrelsome' or 'trickery,' unrelated to 'bear.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Barrett
Phonetic: BAIR-it IPA: /ˈbɛrɪt/
Popularity of Barrett
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1886–2024.
Lists That Include Barrett
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Similar Names
Bryson · Brody · Brown · Bodhi · Burton · Briggs
