Surname Spotlight: Barrs

Written in a baptism entry or a ship's list, Barrs usually leads back to Barr. Its meaning, shared with Barr, is “Hilltop”.

How the spelling arose

The extra ending in Barrs is patronymic: it identified a person as belonging to Barr's family. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. Other spellings include Barre and Bar.

According to the 2010 US Census, the Barrs surname had 1,486 bearers. Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Barros, Barrios and Barroso.

Heraldry and the Barrs name

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Barr surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

Want more than a summary? See the Barrs family name pack.