Show ContentsBarrins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The word Baron "is of Celtic extraction, and originally synonymous with man in general. It has this meaning in the Salic law, and in. The laws of the Lombards; in the English law, the phrase Baron and feme is equivalent to man and wife. It was afterward used to denote a man of respectability, a stout or valiant man. From denoting a stout or valiant man, it was employed as a name for a distinguished military leader, who having fought and conquered under some great commander, was afterward rewarded by him with a part of the lands which he had acquired." 1

Early Origins of the Barrins family

The surname Barrins was first found in Baron, near Caen, Normandy. "William de Baron, son of Aiulph de Foro, was an early benefactor to Ardennes Abbey Normandy." 2

The family landed in Devon shortly after the Conquest where Richard le Baron held one and a half fee there in 1165. 2

While this early record follows the first Norman landing in Britain, we found another earlier record in 1095 when Lefuine Baron held estates at Bury in Suffolk. 3

Later records at Sotterley in Suffolk listed the following: "The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £10, and in the gift of Frederick Barne, Esq., whose ancestor, Sir George Barne, was lord mayor of London in the time of Edward VI." 4

Geoffrey le Barun was listed in the Assize Rolls of Hampshire in 1236 and a few years later John Barn was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Richard le Baron in Devon; and Geoffrey le Barun in Oxfordshire. 5

Early History of the Barrins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barrins research. Another 419 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1428, 1477, 1488, 1500, 1505, 1508, 1520, 1534, 1539, 1555, 1647, 1685, 1705, 1715, 1718, 1722, 1726 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Barrins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barrins Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Barrins has undergone many spelling variations, including Baron, Barrone, Barron, Barne, Barone and others.

Early Notables of the Barrins family

Distinguished members of the family include William Barons or Barnes (d. 1505), Bishop of London and Master of the Rolls, "about whom singularly little is known, appears to have been educated at Oxford, where he took the degree of LL.D., but in what college or hall he studied has not been ascertained. " 6Stephen Baron (d...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barrins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Barrins family to Ireland

Some of the Barrins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barrins family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Barrins were among those contributors: Barbe Baron who arrived in Quebec in 1667; Humerton Baron who settled in Jamaica in 1689; Ann Baron who arrived in South Carolina in 1788; Alex Baron who arrived in New Orleans in 1820.



  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


Houseofnames.com on Facebook