NameCensus.

UK surname

Barret

A surname originally denoting someone who worked at a small outlying fort or castle gate.

In the 1881 census there were 851 people recorded with the Barret surname, ranking it #4,444 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 163, ranked #22,407, down from #4,444 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Otley, St Pancras and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dalry and Fountainbridge, Bath and North East Somerset and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barret is 954 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 80.8%.

1881 census count

851

Ranked #4,444

Modern count

163

2016, ranked #22,407

Peak year

1851

954 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barret had 851 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,444 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 163 in 2016, ranked #22,407.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 954 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Barret surname distribution map

The map shows where the Barret surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Barret surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barret over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 954 #2,911
1861 historical 934 #2,968
1881 historical 851 #4,444
1891 historical 684 #5,723
1901 historical 470 #8,432
1911 historical 405 #9,212
1997 modern 188 #18,324
1998 modern 182 #19,162
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 107 #26,328
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 162 #22,078
2013 modern 162 #22,433
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 163 #22,407
2016 modern 163 #22,407

Geography

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Where Barrets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Otley, St Pancras, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dalry and Fountainbridge, Bath and North East Somerset, Wealden, St Albans and Vale of White Horse. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dalry and Fountainbridge City of Edinburgh
2 Bath and North East Somerset 013 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Wealden 005 Wealden
4 St Albans 012 St Albans
5 Vale of White Horse 003 Vale of White Horse

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barret

These lists show first names that appear often with the Barret surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barret

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barret, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Barret surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Barret household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barret is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barret is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barret falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barret is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Barret, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Barret

The surname BARRET has its origins in France and England, tracing back to the late medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "barat," meaning a quarrel or strife, and was likely initially bestowed as a nickname on someone who had a contentious or quarrelsome disposition.

One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barat." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property in England, suggesting that the BARRET surname was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Baret" and "Barret," the latter being closer to the modern spelling. During this time, the surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire in England.

One notable figure bearing the BARRET surname was John Barret (c. 1460-1516), an English ecclesiastic who served as the Abbot of Reading Abbey from 1505 until its dissolution in 1539. Another early example is William Barret (c. 1558-1625), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.

Moving into the 17th century, the BARRET surname gained prominence in the American colonies. One early settler was Thomas Barret (c. 1607-1668), who immigrated to Virginia from England and became a prominent landowner and planter in the colony.

In the 18th century, James Barret (1710-1782) was a distinguished British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He is remembered for his victories against French forces in the West Indies.

Another notable figure was John Barret (1753-1821), an American minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics. He is best known for his work "The Portraiture of a Christian Gentlemen," published in 1793.

As the BARRET surname spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Barrett, Barratt, and Barett. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences, but they all trace their origins back to the same French and English roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barret families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barret surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 129 Barrets recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.31x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 129 1.31x
Middlesex 122 1.47x
Yorkshire 122 1.48x
Surrey 45 1.11x
Lanarkshire 37 1.38x
Durham 32 1.30x
Angus 27 3.51x
Northumberland 27 2.19x
Essex 25 1.53x
Lincolnshire 25 1.89x
Devon 18 1.04x
Norfolk 18 1.41x
Glamorgan 15 1.04x
Hampshire 15 0.88x
Monmouthshire 15 2.50x
Brecknockshire 13 7.84x
Kent 13 0.46x
Cumberland 11 1.54x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.52x
Staffordshire 8 0.29x
Bedfordshire 7 1.63x
Gloucestershire 7 0.43x
Midlothian 7 0.63x
Shropshire 7 0.98x
Somerset 7 0.52x
Cornwall 6 0.64x
Fife 6 1.22x
Herefordshire 6 1.76x
Sussex 6 0.43x
Wigtownshire 6 5.45x
Wiltshire 6 0.82x
Renfrewshire 5 0.78x
Warwickshire 5 0.24x
Berkshire 4 0.64x
Selkirkshire 4 5.33x
Suffolk 4 0.40x
Ayrshire 3 0.48x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.86x
Derbyshire 3 0.23x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.35x
East Lothian 3 2.73x
Hertfordshire 3 0.52x
Northamptonshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 2.02x
Worcestershire 2 0.18x
Channel Islands 1 0.41x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.83x
Oxfordshire 1 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.38x
Perthshire 1 0.27x
Stirlingshire 1 0.33x
West Lothian 1 0.80x
Westmorland 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 23 Barrets recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.70x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 23 10.70x
Dundee 18 6.28x
Kensington London 16 3.47x
Lambeth 14 1.94x
Byker 13 21.32x
St Pancras London 13 1.95x
Bedwellty 12 11.34x
Bermondsey 11 4.46x
Blackburn 11 4.20x
Butterworth 11 45.89x
Glasgow 11 2.31x
Govan 11 1.66x
Sowerby In Halifax 11 40.94x
Stansfield 11 36.38x
Newington 10 3.26x
Westminster St James 10 11.73x
Islington London 9 1.12x
Leeds 9 1.94x
New Monkland 9 11.35x
Penderyn 9 198.68x
Wetheral 9 95.24x
Whalley 9 62.76x
Ashby 8 192.77x
Chatham 8 10.28x
Chelsea London 8 3.20x
Liverpool 8 1.34x
Mains 8 122.51x
North Stoke 8 1818.18x
Ottery St Mary 8 70.67x
Toxteth Park 8 2.40x
Warley 8 33.68x
Whitworth 8 44.30x
Wymondham 8 61.35x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 8.96x
Doncaster 7 11.66x
Isleworth 7 18.99x
Mile End Old Town London 7 3.97x
North Bierley 7 15.78x
Cheetham 6 8.18x
Colchester St Peter 6 91.60x
Dysart 6 18.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.34x
Escomb 6 52.91x
Hammersmith London 6 2.94x
Mochrum 6 91.32x
Ovenden 6 16.41x
Pendleton In Salford 6 5.12x
Skircoat 6 18.52x
St Mary Bourne 6 194.81x
West Ham 6 1.66x
Biddlestone 5 1111.11x
Bingley 5 9.55x
Birmingham 5 0.72x
Garston 5 17.22x
Limehouse London 5 5.49x
Llandaff 5 10.41x
Portsea 5 1.50x
St Marylebone London 5 1.13x
Stranton 5 6.02x
Wanstead 5 17.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 5.40x
Battlesden 4 1250.00x
Bishops Fonthill 4 714.29x
Cardiff St Mary 4 5.03x
Clitheroe 4 13.81x
Dawley 4 15.34x
Everton 4 1.28x
Halifax 4 3.32x
Kearsley 4 19.32x
Lakenham 4 22.09x
Little Stanmore 4 163.27x
Llangarren 4 131.15x
Oswaldtwistle 4 11.51x
Otley 4 20.05x
Paddington London 4 1.31x
Selkirk 4 18.93x
Southowram 4 15.95x
St Dunstan In West London 4 154.44x
Dartford 3 10.37x
Exeter St Thomas The 3 17.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Barret surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 48
Elizabeth 34
Sarah 21
Ellen 19
Ann 16
Emma 15
Jane 15
Hannah 14
Margaret 13
Alice 10
Emily 10
Eliza 9
Annie 8
Catherine 8
Louisa 7
Caroline 6
Anne 4
Bridget 4
Edith 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Kate 3
Laura 3
Rose 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Betty 2
Clara 2
Dorthey 2
Julia 2
Lily 2
Marie 2
May 2
Phoebe 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Winifred 2
Bertha 1
Clemence 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Grace 1
H. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Barret surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 50
William 41
James 25
Thomas 23
Edward 20
George 19
Richard 14
Arthur 12
Charles 11
Alfred 10
Joseph 9
Henry 8
Robert 7
Benjamin 6
Ernest 5
Michael 5
Patrick 5
Thos. 5
Frederick 4
Walter 4
David 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Anthoney 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Micheal 2
Solomon 2
Ben. 1
Charlie 1
Christopher 1
Con. 1
Dennis 1
Ellias 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Harriett 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Logan 1
Mark 1
Maude 1
Patsey 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Yates 1

FAQ

Barret surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barret surname in 1881?

In 1881, 851 people were recorded with the Barret surname. That placed it at #4,444 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barret surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 163 in 2016. That gives Barret a modern rank of #22,407.

What does the Barret surname mean?

A surname originally denoting someone who worked at a small outlying fort or castle gate.

What does the Barret map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Barret bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.