Barry (name)

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.

## Etymology

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### Of given name

[edit]

The given name Barry is derived from Gaelic,[1] possibly being an Anglicised form of the personal name Báire, which is a short form of the related Irish names Bairrfhionn[2] or Barrfind ("fair-headed", "fair-haired"),[3] and Finbar or Fionnbharr ("fair-topped", "fair-haired").[4]

For example, Barry is sometimes derived from the Irish Bairre, Barra, and Barre, which are in turn forms of the name Barrfind.[5] Furthermore, Barry is sometimes an Anglicised form of the Irish Finnbarr, which also has short forms of Bairre, Barra, and Barre.[6] Similarly, Barry is sometimes an Anglicised form of the latter short form Barra.[7] In other cases, Barry is an Anglicised form of the Irish Berach ("pointed", "spear", "sharp").[8]

Since the twentieth century, the name has become very popular in Australia. A variant form of the given name is Barrie. In the Netherlands the form Berry is also used. Pet forms of the name are Baz and Bazza.[9]

Barry may also be a hypocorism for Bartholomew or Barton.[citation needed]

As a given name, Barry is currently less common than it once was. It rose in popularity in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s, and was in the top 100 names through the 1970s. In recent years, the name has not even made the US top 1000 list of names (the last time was in 2004, when it ranked 963). Barry's highest rank was 61, which was achieved in 1962.[10]

US President Barack Obama was called by the nickname Barry when younger, which he eventually halted.[11]

Barry as a given name may also be from the surname, as with Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore, whose mother's maiden name was Barry.

### Of surname

[edit]

The surname Barry has numerous origins.

In some cases, the surname Barry is an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó Beargha, meaning "descendant of Beargh". The byname Beargh means "plunderer" or "spear-like". In other cases Barry is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Báire, meaning "descendant of Báire".[4] Alternatively, Barry is a patronymic form of the personal name Henry.[2] In such cases, the name is partly derived from the Welsh ap Harry, as is the case of the similar surname Parry.[12] In other cases, the surname Barry is derived from a place name, sometimes seemingly of Continental origin,[13] and sometimes from a British place name, such as Barry, Angus in Scotland.[14]

The surname Barry, when originating in Ireland, is chiefly derived from the Cambro-Norman family of de Barry (from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan), who were prominent in the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland.[15] In Irish, this family's name is rendered de Barra. In Ireland, the surname Barry occurs most commonly in Munster and south Leinster. The concentrations of the surname in County Limerick could correspond with the Ó Beargha origin of the name, while the concentration of the surname in West Cork could correspond with the Ó Báire origin.[16]

There is a surname Barry, variant form of the rarer Barri, typical of the south of France, that means "rampart, city wall" and by extension "suburb", that is to say "somebody from the suburb or living near the rampart". Variant forms include Delbarry and Dubarry.[17]

Barry is also a common surname among the Fula people in West Africa (Fula: 𞤄𞤢𞤪𞤭, romanized: Bari).[18]

## Geographical distribution

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As of 2014, 59.3% of all known bearers of the surname Barry were residents of Guinea (frequency 1:17), 14.7% of Burkina Faso (1:104), 5.4% of the United States (1:5,629), 4.5% of Senegal (1:274), 3.7% of Mali (1:384), 1.2% of England (1:3,951), 1.1% of Ireland (1:362) and 1.0% of Australia (1:2,004).[19]

## People with the surname

[edit]

* A. Constantine Barry (1815–1888), American educator and politician
* Alice Mary Barry (1880–1955), Irish doctor
* Alfred Barry (1826–1910), Anglican Bishop of Sydney; second son of Charles Barry
* Angela Barry, Bermudian writer and educator
* Ann Street Barry (1734–1801), English actress; second wife of Spranger Barry
* Bonny Barry (born 1960), Australian politician
* Brent Barry (born 1971), American sports commentator and basketball player; third son of Rick Barry
* Brian Barry (1936–2009), British philosopher
* Canyon Barry (born 1994), American basketball player; youngest son of Rick Barry
* Charles Barry (1795–1860), English architect, main designer of the Palace of Westminster
* Charles Barry Jr. (1823–1900), English architect; eldest son of Charles Barry
* Christian Barry, American philosopher
* Christopher Barry (1925–2014), British television director
* Claudja Barry (born 1952), Jamaican-Canadian singer and actress
* B. Constance Barry, American actor
* Damion Barry (born 1982), Trinidadian sprinter
* Daniel Barry (disambiguation)
* Dave Barry (born 1947), American author and columnist, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
* David Barry (disambiguation)
* David de Barry, 5th Viscount Barry (c. 1550–1617), Irish peer
* Dede Barry (born 1972), American cyclist
* Denis Barry (1929–2003), president of the United States Chess Federation (1993–96)
* Denny Barry (1883–1923), Irish Republican, died during the 1923 Irish hunger strikes
* Diana Barry (born 1986), Scottish footballer
* Dick Barry (1926–2013), American politician and lawyer
* Donald T. Barry (1928–2017), American politician
* Don "Red" Barry (1912–1980), American film actor
* Drew Barry (born 1973), American retired basketball player; fourth son of Rick Barry
* Edward B. Barry (1849–1939), American rear admiral
* Edward Middleton Barry (1830–1880), English architect; third son of Charles Barry
* Elizabeth Barry (1658–1713), English actress
* Fred Barry (1948–2016), American football player in the National Football League
* Frederick G. Barry (1845–1909), member of the U.S. House of Representatives
* Gareth Barry (born 1981), English footballer
* Garret Barry (disambiguation)
* Gene Barry (1919–2009), American stage, screen and television actor
* Gerald Barry (disambiguation)
* GK Barry (born 1999), stage name of Grace Keeling, English influencer and presenter
* Glenn Barry, American musician, bass player in the symphonic metal band Kamelot
* Grant Barry, American musician
* Hilary Barry (born 1969), New Zealand television personality
* Jack Barry (disambiguation)
* James Barry (disambiguation)
* James de Barry, 4th Viscount Buttevant (1520–1581), Irish peer
* Jason Barry-Smith (born 1969), Australian operatic baritone, vocal coach, composer and arranger
* Jeff Barry (born 1938), American pop music songwriter, singer and record producer
* Jeff Barry (baseball) (born 1968), was a Major League Baseball player
* J. Esmonde Barry (1923–2007), Canadian healthcare activist and political commentator
* Joan Barry (disambiguation)
* Joe Barry (disambiguation), several people
* John Barry (disambiguation)
* John Wolfe Barry (1836–1918), English civil engineer, co-designer of Tower Bridge; youngest son of Charles Barry
* Jon Barry (born 1969), American television analyst and basketball player; second son of Rick Barry
* Jonathan Barry (born 1988), Bahamian cricketer
* Jonathan B. Barry (born 1945), American Democratic politician, businessman, and farmer
* Joseph Barry (born 1940), American real estate developer
* Joyce Barry (1919–1999), Australian cyclist
* Julian Barry (1930–2023), American screenwriter and playwright
* Kate Barry (1752–1823), heroine of the American Revolutionary War
* Keane Barry (born 2002), Irish darts player
* Keith Barry (born 1976), Irish illusionist, mentalist and close-up magician
* Kevin Barry (1902–1920), Irish Republican Army member
* Kevin Barry (boxer) (born 1959), New Zealand boxer, boxing trainer and manager
* Krystal Barry, American beauty queen
* Kyra Tirana Barry (born 1966), Team Leader for the United States Women's National wrestling team
* Len Barry (1942–2020), American singer, songwriter and record producer
* Leo Barry (born 1977), Australian rules footballer
* Liam Barry (born 1971), New Zealand rugby union player
* Luís Barry (born 1982), Portuguese football player known simply as Barry
* Lyall Barry, New Zealand swimmer
* Lynda Barry (born 1956), American cartoonist, author, and teacher
* Lynn Norenberg Barry (born 1959), American basketball player and administrator; current wife of Rick Barry and mother of Canyon Barry
* Madame du Barry (1743–1793), French courtier
* Mamadou Barry, Guinean footballer
* Margaret Stuart Barry (1927–2022), English writer
* Marion Barry (1936–2014), American politician
* Martin Barry (1802–1855), British physician and embryologist
* Marty Barry (1905–1969), Canadian ice hockey player
* Mary Barry, Canadian musician
* Mary F. Barry (1859–1919), American doctor and politician
* Maryanne Trump Barry (1937–2013), American attorney
* Max Barry (born 1973), Australian author
* Michael Barry (disambiguation)
* Morris Barry (1918–2000), English TV producer
* Norman Barry (1897–1988), American judge, politician, and football coach
* Norman P. Barry (1944–2008), English philosopher
* Odell Barry (1941–2022), American football player
* Pat Barry (kickboxer) (born 1979), American kickboxer and retired mixed martial artist
* Patricia Barry (1922–2016), American actress
* Patrick Barry (disambiguation)
* Paul Barry (disambiguation), several people
* Peter Barry (politician) (1928–2016), Irish Fine Gael politician and businessman
* Philip Barry (1896–1949), American dramatist
* Rahmane Barry (born 1986), Senegalese footballer
* Ralph Andrews Barry (1883–1939), philatelic writer
* Raymond J. Barry (born 1939), American actor
* Redmond Barry (1813–1880), Anglo-Irish-Australian judge
* Richard Barry (disambiguation)
* Rick Barry (born 1944), American basketball player
* Robert L. Barry (born 1934), American diplomat
* Rod Barry, American pornographic actor
* Rugie Barry, Liberian politician
* Sam Barry (1892–1959), American sportsman
* Scooter Barry (born 1966), American basketball player; oldest son of Rick Barry
* Sebastian Barry (born 1955), Irish writer
* Sékoumar Barry (born 1935), Guinean film director and screenwriter
* Seydou Barry (1943–2007), Senegalese painter
* Spranger Barry (1719–1777), Irish actor
* Stuart Milner-Barry (1906–1995), British codebreaker, civil servant and chess player
* Susan R. Barry, American neurobiologist
* Sy Barry (born 1928), American comic-strip artist
* Tadhg Barry (1880–1921), leading Irish Republican, trade unionist, poet, and GAA official
* Thomas A. Barry (c. 1879–1947), American college football coach and player, lawyer, and industrial adviser
* Todd Barry (born 1964), American actor and comedian
* Tom Barry (Irish republican) (1897–1980), Irish republican leader
* Tom Barry (screenwriter) (1885–1931), American screenwriter
* Toni Barry (born 1961), British voice actress
* Tony Barry (1941–2022), Australian actor
* Viola Barry (1894–1964), American film actress
* Warren E. Barry, American politician
* Wesley Barry (1907–1994), American child actor
* William Barry (disambiguation)

## People with Barry as a given name

[edit]

Those for whom Barry is a hypocoristic for another given name are listed separately.

* Barry Alvarez (born 1946), American football coach and sports administrator
* Barry Asher, American bowler
* Barry Atsma, Dutch actor
* Barry Austin (1968–2021), heaviest man in the United Kingdom
* Barry Bannan, Scottish footballer
* Barry K. Barnes, English stage and screen actor
* Barry Beckett, American musician
* Barry Bonds (born 1964), American baseball player
* Barry Bostwick, American actor
* Barry Brickell (1935–2016), New Zealand potter, writer, conversationist and founder
* Barry Byrne, Irish guitarist and footballer
* Barry Chuckle, (1944–2018) English comedian and half of the Chuckle Brothers double act
* Barry Cottle (born 1961/62), American businessman, CEO of Scientific Games Corporation
* Barry Crane, American television producer and bridge player
* Barry Cryer, British comedian
* Barry Davies, BBC sports commentator
* Barry Derickson, American college football coach for the Sul Ross Lobos
* Barry Diller, American businessman
* Barry Evans (disambiguation)
* Barry Fantoni, British writer, painter and jazz musician
* Barry Ferguson, footballer who formerly played for Scotland and Blackpool FC
* Barry Fitzgerald, Irish and American stage and motion picture actor
* Barry George (born 1960), British criminal
* Barry Gibb (born 1946), English singer and musician, member of the Bee Gees
* Barry Goldwater (1909–1998), American politician
* Barry Hall, Australian rules footballer
* Barry Hawkins, English snooker player
* Barry Hay, Dutch singer
* Barry Hearn, English sporting events promoter
* Barry Heneghan, Irish politician
* Barry L. Houser, American band director and conductor, currently the director of the Marching Illini at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
* Barry Humphries (1934–2023), Australian comedian
* Barry Jackson (director), English theatre director and founder of the Birmingham Repertory
* Barry John (born 1945), Welsh rugby union player
* Barry Jones (disambiguation)
* Barry Joule (born 1954/55), Canadian writer
* Barry Keoghan, Irish actor
* Barry Kramer, American basketball player and jurist
* Barry Larkin (born 1964), American baseball player
* Barry Latman, American baseball player
* Barry Leibowitz (born 1945), American-Israeli basketball player
* Barry Levinson, American film director
* Barry Lopez, American author
* Barry Lewis (cook), British YouTuber
* Barry Lewis (cricketer), English cricketer
* Barry MacKay (actor) (1906–1985), British stage and screen actor
* Barry Manilow, American singer
* Barry McConnell, English footballer
* Barry Melrose, Canadian hockey player/coach/commentator
* Barry Moreland (born 1943), Australian dancer and choreographer
* Barry Cennydd Morgan, former Archbishop of Wales
* Barry C. Morgrage, American politician
* Barry Nadech, Thai model and actor
* Barry Nelson, American actor
* Barry Newman, American actor
* Barry Norman, British film critic
* Barry O'Farrell, Australian politician
* Barry Otto, Australian actor
* Barry Padarath, Trinidad and Tobago politician
* Barry Paul (born 1948), British Olympic fencer
* Barry Pepper, Canadian actor
* Barry Richards (born 1945) South African cricketer
* Barry Richardson (disambiguation)
* Barry Ryan, English singer
* Barry Sanders, American football player
* Barry Sheene, British motorcycle racer
* Barry Silkman (born 1952), English footballer
* Barry Simon, American mathematical physicist
* Barry Smit, Canadian integrated geographer and climate researcher
* Barry Sullivan (actor), American actor
* Barry Sullivan (disambiguation), multiple people
* Barry Switzer, American football coach
* Barry Took, British screenwriter
* Barry Van Dyke, American actor
* Barry Waddell (born 1936), Australian cyclist
* Barry Wesley (born 1999), American football player
* Barry White, American singer
* Barry Williams (disambiguation)
* Barry Wynks (1952–2020), New Zealand lawn bowler

## People with Barry as a hypocoristic

[edit]

* John Finbar Cassin (1924–2017), Irish actor
* Barrington Cunliffe (born 1939), British archaeologist and academic
* Bernard Freundel (born 1951), former rabbi and convicted voyeur
* Barrington Hayles (born 1972), British footballer
* Francis Barrington Hall (1921–2013), Australian diplomat and public servant
* Bernardus Hulshoff (1946–2020), Dutch footballer
* Finbar Patrick McGuigan (born 1961), Irish boxing promoter and retired boxer
* Barron Rogers (1935–1991), American jazz and salsa trombonist
* Adler Berriman Seal (1939–1986), American airline pilot, drug smuggler and informant
* Bernard Sherman (1942–2017), Canadian billionaire, businessman, philanthropist and murder victim

## People with Barry as a nickname

[edit]

* Jerome "Barry" Morgan (1944–2007), British drummer
* James "Barry" Waldrep (born 1962), American musician, songwriter and composer
* Charles Francis "Barry" Cullen (1935–2022), Canadian former National Hockey League player
* Barack Obama (born 1961), 44th President of the United States

## Fictional characters with the given name

[edit]

* Barry (American Dad!), a character on the TV series American Dad!
* Barry (Pokémon), a character from the Pokémon video game series
* Barry, Steve Levy's partner in George Shrinks
* Barry Allen, The Flash's real name
* Barry and Co., characters in the Conker series
* Barry "Bear" Baricza, a character from the TV series CHiPs
* Barry Barry, a character from the TV series Waterloo Road
* Barry Benson, the protagonist in Bee Movie
* Barry Berkman/Barry Block on the TV series Barry
* Barry Bluejeans, character from The Adventure Zone podcast
* Barry Buns, a character in the animated comedy TV series Kiff
* Barry Burton from Resident Evil
* Barry Dejay, the color commentary in Backyard Basketball
* Barry Dylan, a character from the adult animated sitcom Archer
* Barry Egan, a character portrayed by Adam Sandler in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Punch-Drunk Love
* Barry Eisenberg, a main character on the show, Best Friends Whenever
* Barry Evans (EastEnders), a character from the TV series EastEnders
* Barry Goldberg, a character in the TV sitcom The Goldbergs
* Barry Foster, a character portrayed by Clark Duke on the TV series Two and a Half Men
* Barry Judd, a character portrayed by Jack Black in the movie High Fidelity
* Barry Kripke, a character on the TV series The Big Bang Theory
* Barry McKenzie, Australian comic strip and movie character
* Redmond Barry of Ballybarry, title character of the novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon and its 1975 film adaptation Barry Lyndon
* Barry Swift/Man in a Hurry, a reoccurring character in the Hatchetfield trilogy by Team StarKid
* Barry the Chopper, a character from the manga/anime series Fullmetal Alchemist
* Barry the Strawberry, a character from the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
* Barry Walker, a character in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
* Barry Wheeler, a character in the video game Alan Wake

## See also

[edit]

* The Barry Sisters (disambiguation)
* Barry (dog)
* Barrie (name)

## Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. xvii.
2. ^ a b Barry Family History (n.d.).
3. ^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) pp. 29, 101.
4. ^ a b Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; Barry Family History (n.d.).
5. ^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 29.
6. ^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 28, 342; Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 101.
7. ^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) pp. 28, 342.
8. ^ Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 31.
9. ^ Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 28.
10. ^ "Boys Names", Popularity and Meaning of Barry, BestLittleBaby.com, retrieved 11 July 2016
11. ^ Wolffe, Richard (March 22, 2008). "When Barry Became Barack". Newsweek.
12. ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 339; Barry Family History (n.d.); Parry Family History (n.d.).
13. ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30.
14. ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; Black (1971) p. 57.
15. ^ Reaney; Wilson (1995) p. 30; MacLysaght (1972) pp. 52–54.
16. ^ de Bhulbh (1997) p. 136.
17. ^ Albert Dauzat, Noms et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet, p. 28a.
18. ^ Kelly, Maura (27 July 2011). "Does Dominique Strauss-Kahn's accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, have the most common surname in Guinea?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 22 July 2021. "...almost all Fulbe have one of four family names: Diallo, also spelled Jalloh; Barry; Balde, also spelled Bah; and Sow. (Diallo is not any more popular than the other three names.) About two-fifths of all Guineans are Fulbe, and they live in smaller concentrations in other countries throughout West Africa, with significant clusters in Senegal and Mali..."
19. ^ "Barry Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History". forebears.io.

## General references

[edit]

* "Barry Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
* "Parry Family History". Ancestry.com. n.d. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
* Black, GF (1971) [1946]. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. New York: The New York Public Library. ISBN 0-87104-172-3. OL 8346130M - via Open Library.
* de Bhulbh, S (1997). Sloinnte na h-Éireann: Irish Surnames. Limerick: Comhar-Chumann Íde Naofa Teo. ISBN 0-9530560-0-7. OL 316008M.
* Hanks, P; Hardcastle, K; Hodges, F (2006) [1990]. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
* MacLysaght, E (1972). Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins (3rd ed.). New York: Crown Publishers. OL 23251759M - via Open Library.
* Ó Corráin, D; Maguire, F (1981). Gaelic Personal names. Dublin: Academy Press. ISBN 0-906187-39-7.
* Reaney, PH (1995). Wilson, RM (ed.). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-8631464.

Name list

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*[c.]: circa