Barrett Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Barrett last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Barrett last name
Meaning of the Barrett last name: norman, perhaps from Old French barat ("trouble, deceit"). Barrett arrived in Ireland with the Normans and settled in Cork and Mayo. Its meaning is uncertain, perhaps linked to an Old French word for trouble. A curious detail: the Barretts of Mayo became so Irish in speech and custom that old writers described them as more Irish than the Irish themselves.
Arms associated with the Barrett name
Irish shields often use green and gold, colours linked with the land and good fortune, a tradition the Barrett name belongs to.
Get your full Barrett family history
This is only a glimpse of the Barrett story. The full Barrett history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Barrett coat of arms. Get the full Barrett report.
Barrett name FAQ
What does the Barrett name mean?
Norman, perhaps from Old French barat ("trouble, deceit"). Common variants include Barret, Baret, Barat.
Where does the Barrett surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Barrett coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Barrett coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.