Barry
Barry is both a given name and an Irish and West African surname. The given name can be an Anglicised form of some Irish personal names or shortened form of Barrington or Finbarr, while the surname has numerous etymological origins, and is derived from both place names and personal names.
- Irish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Barry
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Barry is both a given name and an Irish and West African surname. The given name can be an Anglicised form of some Irish personal names or shortened form of Barrington or Finbarr, while the surname has numerous etymological origins, and is derived from both place names and personal names.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish
- English
The Story of Barry
The earliest SSA record of Barry as a baby boy name dates back to 1883, when 5 babies received it. 1962 was its biggest year on record, with 6,584 newborns named Barry — #61 in the national rankings. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Barrys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,504 among baby boy names with 119 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 181K Barrys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Barry
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Barry. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Barry
Phonetically similar names — useful when Barry is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Barry
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In which U.S. states is Barry most popular?
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About the name Barry
Barry is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 181K births in the dataset. Barry's peak popularity came in 1962 when it ranked #61. Use the chart and map above to compare Barry's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1962 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.