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Barrett Family History

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

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Barrett family from?

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.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Barrett ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Barrett. 15% of Barrett men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Barrett women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barrett were Clerk and Clerk.

View Census data for Barrett | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations in 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Clerk
    6%
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What Barrett family records will you find?

Census Records

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 US census records for Barrett

Passenger Lists

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 Cards

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.

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

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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

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