Barry is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Barry means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Barry across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Barry has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Barry is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “fair-haired”. from the name Barra or Finbarr.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 182,036 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 440 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,095 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 184 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,728 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,624 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Barry per year, United States (1883 to 2025). United States peaked in 1962 (6,611/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1979 (502/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1985 (471/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (45/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (30/yr).
Barry has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1962, when it ranked #129 nationally (given to 6,611 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Perry · Barrie · Berry · Bari · Burr · Barri · Parry · Bary
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