Barrett surname meaning
An English and Irish surname of Norman origin, probably a nickname for a quarrelsome or troublesome person.
Confidence: Likely. The main story is well supported; some details of the deeper root are less certain.
The short story
Barrett is an English and Irish surname with an Anglo-Norman history. It is usually connected with Old French barat and Middle English forms meaning trouble, contention, or deceit, so the original byname may have described a quarrelsome or troublesome person. Norman settlement helped carry the name into Ireland, where forms such as Baróid and Baréid developed. Barrett, Barratt, Barret, and Barritt are neighboring spellings, not proof of one shared branch. Nickname is the best catalog type, while likely confidence leaves room for the surname’s different regional histories and the uncertainty built into the word probably.
Also seen as: Barratt, Barret, Barritt, Baréid
- Ancestry, Dictionary of American Family Names entry 'Barrett' (Old French barat nickname and Irish routes)
- Wikipedia 'Barrett (surname)' (Norman origin and troublesome gloss)
- Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)