Barrett Family History

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Barrett Name Meaning

It may be from a medieval personal name, but if so the form is unclear. Alternatively, it may be a nickname for a quarrelsome or deceitful person, from Middle English bar(r)et(t)e, bar(r)at ‘trouble’, ‘strife’, ‘deception’, ‘cheating’ (Old French barat ‘commerce’, ‘dealings’, a derivative of barater ‘to haggle’). It is possible that the original sense of barat survived unrecorded into Middle English as a word for a market trader; the Italian cognate Baratta has this sense. It could also be a nickname or metonymic occupational name from Old French barette ‘cap’, ‘bonnet’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Barre, Berrett, Barnett, Garret, Barreto, Parrett, Garnett, Barlett

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Barrett Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Barrett name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Barrett. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    46%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    26%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    3%

  • France

    3%

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Barrett Family Origin

Where is the Barrett family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Barrett families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Barrett family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Barrett families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 188 Barrett families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Barrett's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Barrett families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Barrett surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Barrett

    Barrett Family Occupations

    What did your Barrett ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, the most common Barrett occupation in the USA was Farmer. 31% of Barrett's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Barrett. A less common occupation for the Barrett family was Carpenter.

    View Census data for Barrett | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      31%

    • Laborer

      12%

    • Keeping House

      7%

    • Carpenter

      2%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Barrett ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Barrett Historical Records

    What Barrett family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 923,000 census records available for the last name Barrett. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Barrett census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Barrett

    Passenger List

    There are 126,000 immigration records available for the last name Barrett. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Barrett immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 124,000 military records available for the last name Barrett. For the veterans among your Barrett ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Barrett military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Barrett family history.

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    Barrett Life Expectancy

    What is the average Barrett lifespan?

    Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Barrett life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Barrett in 1940 was 49, and 75 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Barrett

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Barrett ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Barrett Family Ancestors

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