Show ContentsBarron History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Barron is an occupational surname, deriving from word for the title of a Baron. The surname Barron was also applied as a nickname to a person with a regal or dignified bearing reminiscent of a baron. The Gaelic form of the name Barron is Barún.

Early Origins of the Barron family

The surname Barron was first found in County Waterford (Irish: Port Láirge), anciently the Deise region, on the South coast of Ireland in the Province of Munster, where they were granted lands by Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, for their assistance on his invasion of Ireland.

Early History of the Barron family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barron research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1607, 1610, 1640, 1651 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Barron History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barron Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Barron revealed many spelling variations including Barron, Baron, Barone, Barrone and others.

Early Notables of the Barron family

More information is included under the topic Early Barron Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barron World Ranking

In the United States, the name Barron is the 714th most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Barron is ranked the 265th most popular surname with an estimated 168 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name Barron is the 6,561st popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Barron as 717th with 997 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Barron as 900th with 7,614 people. 5


United States Barron migration to the United States +

In the mid-19th century, Ireland experienced one of the worst periods in its entire history. During this decade in order to ease the pressure of the soil, which was actually depleted by the effects of the previous years' grain crops, landowners forced tenant farmers and peasants onto tiny plots of land that barely provided the basic sustenance a family required. Conditions were worsened, though, by the population of the country, which was growing fast to roughly eight million. So when the Great Potato Famine of the mid-1840s hit, starvation and diseases decimated the population. Thousands of Irish families left the country for British North America and the United States. The new immigrants were often accommodated either in the opening western frontiers or as cheap unskilled labor in the established centers. In early passenger and immigration lists there are many immigrants bearing the name Barron:

Barron Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Barron, who settled in Virginia in 1634
  • Robert Barron, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "David" in 1635 6
  • Symon Barron, aged 16, who arrived in Bermuda in 1635 6
  • Ellis Barron, who landed in Massachusetts in 1640 from County Waterford, Ireland 6
  • Elliz Barron, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1640 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barron Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Elizeus Barron who settled in Woodbridge New Jersey in 1705
  • Samuel Barron, who landed in Virginia in 1749 6
  • Elias Barron, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1750 6
  • Oliver Barron, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1750 6
  • Nicolas Barron, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barron Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mat. Barron, aged 27, who arrived in New York aboard the ship "City of Bristol" in 1805 7
  • Alexander Barron, who landed in New York in 1810 6
  • John P Barron, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 6
  • A. Barron, who settled in New Orleans, La., in 1820
  • Miss Barron, who arrived in Mobile, Alabama in 1821 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Barron migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Barron Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Laurence Barron, who settled in Placentia, Newfoundland in 1794 8
Barron Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Martin Barron from Kilkenny, was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1803 8
  • John Barron, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1818
  • Robert Barron, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1820
  • Bridget Barron, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
  • Mary Barron, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1822
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Barron migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Barron Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Barron, (Barnes), (b. 1767), aged 30, English stone mason who was convicted in Essex, England for 14 years for theft, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1836 9
Barron Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Barron, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Mr. George Barron, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 11
  • William Barron, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 12
  • Capt James Barron, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Alexander" in 1853 13
  • Donald Barron, aged 37, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "William Stevenson" 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barron Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Miss Barron, aged 23, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Westralia" in 1902 13
  • Alexander Neil Barron, aged 21, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Borda" in 1923 13
  • Sidney Barron, aged 19, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Ballarat" in 1923 13
  • Mrs. Baron, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Minderoo" in 1923 15

New Zealand Barron migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Barron Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Barron, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842
  • H. W. Barron, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Golconda" in 1859
  • Mr. Barron, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "James Nicol Fleming" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 1st July 1873 16
  • Mr. John Barron, (b. 1848), aged 26, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Halcione" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in September 1875 16
  • Mrs. Mary Barron, (b. 1851), aged 23, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Halcione" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand in September 1875 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Barron migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17
Barron Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • William Barron and his servants settled in Barbados in 1680
  • John Barron, who arrived in Barbados in 1680 6
  • William Barron, who landed in Barbados in 1680 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Barron (post 1700) +

  • Earl Daniel Barron Jr. (b. 1981), American professional basketball coach and former player who is a video and player development assistant for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association
  • Clarke Charles Netterville Barron (1834-1911), American Chief Reporter of Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) for the New Zealand Parliament for 29 years from 1867
  • Dana Barron, American actress who is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation
  • Clarence W. Barron (1855-1928), American Financial Journalist, was one of the most influential figures in the history of Dow Jones & Company
  • Baynes Barron (1917-1982), American film and television actor
  • Charles Barron (b. 1950), American activist and politician who currently serves in the New York City Council
  • Christopher R. Barron (b. 1973), American political activist best known as the cofounder of GOProud
  • Blue Barron (1913-2005), born Harry Freidman, an American orchestra leader in the 1940s and early 1950s, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Brigadier-General William Andros Jr. Barron (1892-1964), American Chief of Staff 1st Service Command (1943-1945) 18
  • Francis Xavier Barron (1922-2002), American psychologist
  • ... (Another 61 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Jack Barron, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 19
  • Mr. William Barron, British Petty Officer Cook, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 19


The Barron Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortuna juvat audaces
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the brave


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  8. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
  13. Public Record Office Victoria retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved fromhttps://prov.vic.gov.au
  14. South Australian Register Friday 2nd February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Stevenson 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamstevenson1855.shtml
  15. National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  18. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) William Barron. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Barron/William_Andros_Jr./USA.html
  19. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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