Show ContentsBarrett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Barrett Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Barrett

What does the name Barrett mean?

When the Strongbownians arrived in Ireland, they encountered an established Irish system for creating hereditary surnames. However, like the Irish, the Anglo-Norman Strongbownians frequently had patronymic surnames, a form of surname that was formed from the name of the bearer's father, or another older relative. Therefore, since the Strongbownians' system was in many ways built on the same principles as the Irish, the two systems eventually attained a sort of merger. Since the Stronbownian's names often had Norman names which were French, diminutive suffixes, such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el were added to the name of the bearer's father, or older relative. Another Norman way of creating a patronymic name was to use the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word "fils," and ultimately from the Latin "filius," both of which mean son. The surname Barrett is derived from the personal name Berold. In Munster, the Gaelic form of the surname Barrett is Baróid, while in Connacht, the Gaelic form is Bairéid.

Early Origins of the Barrett family

The surname Barrett was first found in Lincolnshire, where Matthew Baret was recorded between 1150 and 1155. The Barret family was also established in the English counties of Nottinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Yorkshire and Essex. However, they joined Strongbow in his invasion of Ireland in 1172 at the invitation of the King of Leinster, Dermot McMurrough. Strongbow granted lands to the family in County Cork and County Mayo where they became staunchly Irish.

Patrick Barret (d. 1415), was an Irish ecclesiastic and judge, one of the canons of the Augustinian abbey of Kells in Ossory, was consecrated Bishop of Ferns in Wexford by the Pope at Rome in December 1400. 1

Not all of the family emigrated to Ireland, but today the name is better known there than in England. By example, "the manor of Ashton, or Ashtorre Barrett, in [the parish of St. Dominick, Cornwall], belonged for many generations to the ancient family of Barrett; but on failure of male issue it passed with an heiress in 1707 to the family of Prestwood." 2

Early History of the Barrett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barrett research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1410, 1412, 1415, 1554, 1555, 1558, 1580, 1631, 1691, 1693 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Barrett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barrett Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Barrett include Barrett, Barret, Barett, Baret, Barratt, Barrat, Barat, Baratt, McWhadden and many more.

Early Notables of the Barrett family

  • Lord of Tirawley; Patrick Barrett (died 1415), an Irishman who held religious and secular high offices in Ireland, an Augustinian Canon at Kells Priory in County Kilkenny, Bishop of Ferns (appointed 1...
  • John Barrett (died 1693), was an Irish colonel and head of the barony of the Cork Barrett family; he raised a regiment of infantry for King James' army in Ireland; and John Barret (1631-1713), was a p...

Barrett World Ranking

the United States, the name Barrett is the 280th most popular surname with an estimated 96,993 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Barrett is ranked the 399th most popular surname with an estimated 11,607 people with that name. 4 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Barrett is the 56th popular surname with an estimated 447 people with that name. 5 Australia ranks Barrett as 191st with 16,704 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Barrett as 200th with 2,795 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Barrett as 166th with 32,381 people. 8

Barrett migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Barrett:

Barrett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Barrett, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 10
  • Walter Barrett, aged 26, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 10
  • William Barrett, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 10
  • John Barrett, aged 36, who landed in Virginia in 1623 10
  • Margaret Barrett, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1633 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barrett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Baldues Barrett, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 10
  • Baldus Barrett, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 10
  • Balthas Barrett, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 10
  • Arthur Barrett, who landed in Virginia in 1749 10
  • Andrew Barrett, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barrett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ezekiel Barrett, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
  • Hugh Barrett, aged 48, who landed in Delaware in 1812 10
  • A Barrett, aged 33, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 10
  • Edward Barrett, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1843 10
  • Michael Barrett, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1843 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barrett Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. John Barrett, (b. 1877), aged 23, Cornish smith travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 15th April 1900 en route to New York, USA 11
  • Mr. Henry Barrett, (b. 1877), aged 27, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Germanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th October 1904 en route to Sutter Creek, California, USA 11
  • Mr. James Barrett, (b. 1884), aged 21, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Salt Lake, Utah, USA 11
  • Mr. John Henry Barrett, (b. 1862), aged 43, Cornish miller, from Redruth, Cornwall travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 30th September 1905 en route to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA 11

Barrett migration to Canada +

Barrett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Barrett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Barrett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1822
  • Thomas Barrett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828
  • John Barrett, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
  • John Barrett, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • Richard Barrett, aged 32, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Hibernia" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Barrett migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Jonathan Barrett, (1765 - 1790), aged 24, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 9
Third Fleet
  • Mr. Thomas Barrett, (1758 - 1788), aged 25, Irish Blacksmith convicted in London, England on 10th September 1782, sentenced for life for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Charlotte" leaving on 13th May 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 22nd January 1788 10
Following the First and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Barrett Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Barrett, (b. 1758), aged 29, English blacksmith who was convicted in London, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Charlotte" on 13th May 1787, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1788 13
Barrett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Barrett 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:

Barrett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Richard Barrett, who landed in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand in 1830
  • John Barrett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Richard Barrett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • William Barrett, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr. Peter Barrett, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Barrett 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. 19
Barrett Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John Barrett, who landed in Barbados in 1635 10
  • Evan Barrett, who landed in Barbados in 1679 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Barrett (post 1700) +

  • Danelle Barrett (1967-2024), American naval officer who is one of less that 200 women to achieve Rear Admiral (lower half)
  • Colleen C. Barrett (1944-2024), American business executive, President, and later President Emerita, of Southwest Airlines
  • Ernie Drew "Black Jack" Barrett (1929-2023), American NBA professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics (1953-1954) and (1955-1956)
  • Daniel Barrett, American animation supervisor and Academy Award winner for Best Visual Effects for the film (Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), he was also nominated for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
  • David Barrett (1954-2018), American journalist who worked for Fox News, ABC Radio News, and CBS News
  • Lawrence Barrett (1838-1891), born Lawrence Brannigan, an American stage actor from Paterson, New Jersey
  • William E. "Bill" Barrett (1929-2016), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska (1991-2001)
  • Wayne Barrett (1945-2017), American journalist, investigative reporter and senior editor for the Village Voice for 37 years
  • Tom Barrett, American co-founder of Barrett-Jackson, an American auction company in Scottsdale, Arizona which specializes in the auction of classic cars and antique cars
  • ... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cataraqui
  • William Barrett (b. 1807), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Mary Barrett (b. 1806), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • George Barrett (b. 1835), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Dinah Barrett (b. 1836), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Henry Barrett (b. 1838), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • ... (Another 17 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Barrett +

  • John Clinton Barrett, Tennessee Settler in the Ozarks: The Life and Times of John C. Barrett, his Family and Descendants by Ron Pyron.
  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. 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)
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  10. 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)
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  12. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  13. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charlotte
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
  16. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Dick
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies

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