NameCensus.

UK surname

Barrie

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Barrie in Angus or from Barry Links in Forfar.

In the 1881 census there were 2,174 people recorded with the Barrie surname, ranking it #2,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,461, ranked #1,963, up from #2,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Balmalloch, Callander and Trossachs and Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barrie is 3,461 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.2%.

1881 census count

2,174

Ranked #2,040

Modern count

3,461

2016, ranked #1,963

Peak year

2016

3,461 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barrie had 2,174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,461 in 2016, ranked #1,963.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,803 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Barrie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barrie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barrie 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 1,349 #2,135
1861 historical 1,495 #1,892
1881 historical 2,174 #2,040
1891 historical 2,321 #2,022
1901 historical 2,803 #1,991
1911 historical 375 #9,747
1997 modern 3,028 #2,125
1998 modern 3,162 #2,121
1999 modern 3,185 #2,125
2000 modern 3,208 #2,096
2001 modern 3,100 #2,118
2002 modern 3,220 #2,088
2003 modern 3,132 #2,098
2004 modern 3,163 #2,073
2005 modern 3,149 #2,055
2006 modern 3,219 #2,029
2007 modern 3,240 #2,038
2008 modern 3,262 #2,044
2009 modern 3,362 #2,036
2010 modern 3,369 #2,070
2011 modern 3,283 #2,086
2012 modern 3,304 #2,040
2013 modern 3,374 #2,038
2014 modern 3,423 #2,020
2015 modern 3,440 #1,984
2016 modern 3,461 #1,963

Geography

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Where Barries are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and Avondale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Balmalloch, Callander and Trossachs, Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, Inverurie North and Kilsyth East and Croy. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Avondale Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Balmalloch North Lanarkshire
2 Callander and Trossachs Stirling
3 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire
4 Inverurie North Aberdeenshire
5 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barrie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barrie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barrie, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Barrie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Barrie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Barrie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barrie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barrie falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barrie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Barrie

The surname Barrie originated in Scotland. It is a locational name derived from Barrie, a town situated between the cities of Dundee and Perth in the county of Angus. The name Barrie is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "barr" meaning "height" or "hill", and "ath" meaning "ford" or "river crossing".

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Barrie can be traced back to the 12th century. It appears in the Cartulary of Arbroath Abbey, a medieval manuscript that contains records of land grants and transactions in the area. In this document, a person named Malice de Barrie is mentioned as a witness to a charter granted by King William the Lion of Scotland in the late 12th century.

The Barrie surname is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written instruments by which Scottish nobles and clergy were compelled to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. Several individuals with the surname Barrie, including Nicol de Barri and William de Barre, are listed among the Scottish landowners who submitted to Edward I's rule.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Barrie was Sir Alexander Barrie (c. 1460 - c. 1530), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as the Provost of the town of Dundee. Another prominent figure was Sir David Barrie (1574 - 1645), a Scottish military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War and later served as the Governor of Breda in the Netherlands.

In the literary world, James Matthew Barrie (1860 - 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright best known for creating the character of Peter Pan. His most famous works include the play "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" and the novel "Peter and Wendy".

Other notable individuals with the Barrie surname include Sir John Barrie (1705 - 1781), a Scottish judge and Lord of Session, and Sir Robert Barrie (1774 - 1841), a British naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station during the Napoleonic Wars.

The surname Barrie has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Barrie in Angus, Barrie in Forfar, and Barrie in Perthshire. Over time, the name has evolved into different spellings, including Barry, Barrie, Barre, and Barrey, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barrie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barrie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 751 Barries recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.02x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 751 11.02x
Angus 390 19.97x
Midlothian 185 6.55x
Stirlingshire 122 15.69x
Roxburghshire 70 18.33x
Ayrshire 62 3.93x
East Lothian 61 21.85x
Renfrewshire 53 3.24x
Fife 49 3.93x
Aberdeenshire 48 2.46x
Perthshire 43 4.54x
Lancashire 42 0.17x
Dunbartonshire 40 7.06x
Banffshire 38 8.69x
Middlesex 32 0.15x
Surrey 24 0.23x
Northumberland 18 0.57x
West Lothian 15 4.73x
Selkirkshire 12 6.29x
Kincardineshire 11 4.29x
Clackmannanshire 10 5.74x
Staffordshire 9 0.13x
Yorkshire 8 0.04x
Devon 7 0.16x
Kinross-shire 7 13.14x
Berwickshire 5 1.96x
Dumfriesshire 5 1.07x
Hampshire 5 0.12x
Kent 5 0.07x
Berkshire 4 0.25x
Buteshire 3 2.35x
Cheshire 3 0.06x
Cumberland 3 0.17x
Glamorgan 3 0.08x
Argyllshire 2 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.16x
Caithness 1 0.35x
Channel Islands 1 0.16x
Durham 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.18x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.33x
Morayshire 1 0.31x
Peeblesshire 1 1.01x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Warwickshire 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.22x
Wigtownshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 173 Barries recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.03x.

Place Total Index
Barony 173 10.03x
Govan 130 7.71x
Dundee 120 16.46x
Glasgow 85 7.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 68 5.99x
Kirriemuir 67 139.03x
Avondale 56 140.49x
Kilsyth 51 102.88x
Liff Benvie 48 16.19x
Lanark 47 85.67x
Falkirk 40 21.98x
Carstairs 34 240.79x
Hamilton 34 17.88x
Haddington 29 70.35x
Lesmahagow 27 37.45x
Old Kilpatrick 26 38.84x
South Leith 26 8.18x
Carnwath 24 56.93x
Mains 24 144.58x
West Greenock 24 8.18x
Monifieth 20 28.99x
Bothwell 19 10.28x
Dunnichen 19 184.47x
Hawick 19 22.23x
Kilmadock 19 87.32x
Liberton 19 43.59x
Arbroath 18 27.81x
St Vigeans 18 17.07x
Kilmarnock 16 8.52x
Shettleston 16 26.21x
Tyrie 16 65.28x
Boyndie 13 89.78x
Castleton 13 79.27x
Salford 13 1.77x
Walston 13 530.61x
Whitburn 13 28.35x
Barry 12 51.19x
Markinch 12 28.33x
Stonehouse 12 51.88x
Cavers 11 115.18x
Galston 11 25.50x
Old Monkland 11 4.07x
Stretford 11 7.99x
Wemyss 11 20.83x
Alloa 10 11.84x
Brechin 10 13.03x
Campsie 10 23.44x
Cathcart 10 11.31x
Fetteresso 10 24.86x
Riccarton 10 42.02x
Cambusnethan 9 5.94x
East Greenock 9 5.83x
Kildrummy 9 189.08x
Monikie 9 87.89x
Oxnam 9 182.56x
Ardrossan 8 14.65x
Battersea 8 1.03x
Dalkeith 8 14.36x
Dalziel 8 10.91x
Denny 8 19.35x
Edinburgh St Georges 8 13.65x
Merton 8 44.52x
Monimail 8 130.93x
North Leith 8 6.12x
Rutherglen 8 8.00x
Wednesbury 8 4.50x
Willesden 8 4.03x
Abbey 7 2.81x
Abernethy 7 56.63x
Blantyre 7 9.86x
Carluke 7 11.31x
Dunbar 7 17.88x
East Kilbride 7 23.97x
Edinburgh St Marys 7 12.75x
Fowlis Easter 7 312.50x
Melrose 7 14.58x
Rathven 7 8.52x
Riccarton Hurlford 7 25.30x
Wallsend 7 7.04x
Wilton 7 16.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Jane 6
Agnes 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Anne 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alexandrina 1
Antoinette 1
Barbara 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Constance 1
Dolores 1
Eleanor 1
Emmily 1
Frances 1
Georgia 1
Gertrude 1
Haldon 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Isabl. 1
Jeannie 1
Josephine 1
Levenia 1
Lidia 1
Lily 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Phoebe 1
Susannah 1
Victoire 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 12
James 10
David 6
Alexander 5
Robert 5
Andrew 4
Frederick 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
George 2
Henry 2
Thomas 2
Archibald 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Fred. 1
Jeremiah 1
N. 1
Ninian 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1
Willm.J. 1
Wm.B. 1

FAQ

Barrie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barrie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,174 people were recorded with the Barrie surname. That placed it at #2,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barrie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,461 in 2016. That gives Barrie a modern rank of #1,963.

What does the Barrie surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Barrie in Angus or from Barry Links in Forfar.

What does the Barrie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Barrie 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.