boy's name
Barry
BAIR-ee
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 198,204
Ireland
#425
2025 births
Barry is a boy's name from an Irish surname generally traced to a word for a spear, though a Welsh island gives a competing route. Its strongest market by a wide margin is Ireland at 425th, and our data marks it stable.
- Barry is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1962, when 6,611 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 29,082 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1883.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Barry over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 28 |
| 1890s | 38 |
| 1900s | 72 |
| 1910s | 244 |
| 1920s | 741 |
| 1930s | 6,671 |
| 1940s | 36,332 |
| 1950s | 55,008 |
| 1960s | 47,426 |
| 1970s | 17,351 |
| 1980s | 10,005 |
| 1990s | 4,234 |
| 2000s | 1,831 |
| 2010s | 1,326 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 729 |
What Barry means
Barry means spear, from an Irish personal name. A competing derivation makes it fair-haired, and a third takes it from a Welsh island, so the reading depends on the family.
Where Barry comes from
Barry anglicizes the Irish Ó Báire or Ó Beargha, generally traced to a word for a spear, though fair-haired is also proposed. A separate Barry comes from Barry Island in Glamorgan, named for Saint Baruc, and the Norman de Barri family took their name from it before invading Ireland — Gerald of Wales, the chronicler, was a de Barri. So the Irish and Welsh routes converge on one spelling, and an Irish name and a Welsh place name are hard to separate in any given family.
Barry in use
Barry peaked in the United States in 1962, when 6,611 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 425th in Ireland on 9 births — much its strongest market — alongside 1526th in the United States on 114, 4207th in England and Wales and 6495th in France, across 198,204 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Barry?
In 2025, Barry was given to 114 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Barry is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Barry
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Barry also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Barry over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Barry
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Barry in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Barry
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Barry — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Barry
What does the name Barry mean?
Spear, from an Irish personal name — though fair-haired and a Welsh island are also proposed.
Is Barry an Irish name?
Chiefly, though a separate Barry comes from Barry Island in Wales, and the Norman de Barri family took their name from it.
Is Barry short for Finbar?
It can be in Irish families, where Fionnbharr means fair-headed.
How popular is Barry?
425th in Ireland, its strongest market, and 1526th in the United States.
Is Barry a girl's or a boy's name?
Barry is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Barry?
Barry has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Barry?
Barry is usually shortened to Baz.
Is Barry a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Barry currently ranks #425 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.