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    The first name Barry

    A boy’s name from Irish meaning “white”, “head”.

    Pronounced /ˈbæɹi/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Irish origin

    Barry means “white”, “head” in Irish.

    Anglicized form of Irish Bairre, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).

    More names that mean white.

    Barry is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 5 boys were named Barry, making it the 3,684th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 45 births (#441).

    02550 1996200020052010201520202025
    449
    babies named Barry, 1996–2025
    #3,684
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Barry with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Barry at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 114 boys born in the United States were named Barry, the 1,520th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1962, when 6,585 were.

    03,5007,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    182,036
    babies named Barry since 1880
    #1,520
    rank in 2025
    1962
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Barry in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    巴里
    Bālǐ
    Chinese
    בְּאֵרִי
    b'erí
    Hebrew

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Barry

    • Bar
    • Baz
    • Bazza

    Famous people named Barry

    161 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Karl Barry Sharpless
      American chemist and Nobel Laureate (born 1941)
    • John Barry
      British composer and conductor (1933–2011)
    • Barry C. Barish
      American physicist, born 1936
    • Barry Bostwick
      American actor, born 1945
    • Barry Levinson
      American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer, born 1942
    • Barry White
      American soul singer (1944–2003)
    • Barry Goldwater
      American politician and military officer (1909–1998)
    • Barry Gibb
      British musician, born 1946
    • Barry Pepper
      Canadian actor, born 1970
    • Barry Bonds
      American baseball player (born 1964)
    • Barry Jenkins
      American writer and director (born 1979)
    • Barry E. Wilmore
      American astronaut, born 1962

    More Irish boys’ names

    All 142 names of Irish origin

    Questions

    What does the name Barry mean?
    Barry means “white”, “head” in Irish.
    What is the origin of the name Barry?
    Anglicized form of Irish Bairre, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).
    How popular is the name Barry?
    In 2025, 5 boys born in England and Wales were named Barry, ranking 3,684th. Its peak was 1996, with 45 births.
    What are nicknames for Barry?
    Common nicknames for Barry include Bar, Baz, Bazza.
    Is Barry a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 182,036 US babies named Barry since 1880 were boys.
    When was Barry most popular?
    1962 in the United States, when 6,585 babies were named Barry, its highest rank at 61st.
    How do you pronounce Barry?
    Barry is /ˈbæɹi/, 2 syllables.
    Is Barry also a surname?
    Yes. Barry is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.