Barry
Anglicized form of Irish Bairre, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).
Every Barry since 1883 — 182,036 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Barry
Barry is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,520 in 2025 with 114 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1883, 182,036 American babies have been named Barry. Its peak came in 1962, when 6,611 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1960s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Barry stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Barry year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 114 | #1,520 |
| 2024 | — | — | 131 | #1,413 |
| 2023 | — | — | 104 | #1,650 |
| 2022 | — | — | 124 | #1,459 |
| 2021 | — | — | 121 | #1,479 |
| 2020 | — | — | 135 | #1,325 |
| 2019 | — | — | 144 | #1,287 |
| 2018 | — | — | 155 | #1,207 |
| 2017 | — | — | 136 | #1,323 |
| 2016 | — | — | 170 | #1,136 |
| 2015 | — | — | 142 | #1,267 |
| 2014 | — | — | 124 | #1,376 |
| 2013 | — | — | 103 | #1,540 |
| 2012 | — | — | 113 | #1,458 |
| 2011 | — | — | 119 | #1,396 |
| 2010 | — | — | 120 | #1,390 |
| 2009 | — | — | 149 | #1,210 |
| 2008 | — | — | 157 | #1,154 |
| 2007 | — | — | 159 | #1,130 |
| 2006 | — | — | 169 | #1,058 |
| 2005 | — | — | 157 | #1,053 |
| 2004 | — | — | 175 | #958 |
| 2003 | — | — | 199 | #867 |
| 2002 | — | — | 193 | #859 |
| 2001 | — | — | 210 | #799 |
| 2000 | — | — | 263 | #677 |
| 1995 | — | — | 353 | #540 |
| 1990 | 5 | #13,195 | 693 | #348 |
| 1985 | 9 | #7,015 | 966 | #240 |
| 1980 | 13 | #5,264 | 1,396 | #175 |
| 1975 | — | — | 1,481 | #164 |
| 1970 | 14 | #4,052 | 2,797 | #117 |
| 1965 | 17 | #3,062 | 4,324 | #86 |
| 1960 | 26 | #2,313 | 5,733 | #72 |
| 1955 | 19 | #2,554 | 5,599 | #70 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2,665 | 4,694 | #74 |
| 1945 | 14 | #2,345 | 3,138 | #84 |
| 1940 | 7 | #3,531 | 1,835 | #109 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3,451 | 729 | #183 |
| 1930 | — | — | 240 | #370 |
| 1925 | — | — | 69 | #794 |
| 1920 | — | — | 28 | #1,387 |
| 1915 | — | — | 34 | #1,103 |
| 1910 | — | — | 15 | #786 |
| 1905 | — | — | 5 | #1,247 |
| 1900 | — | — | 10 | #839 |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | 8 | #703 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Barry
- Barry White Singer · 1944–2003
- Barry Barish Physicist · b. 1936
- Barry Seal Extremist · b. 1939
- Barry Nelson Actor · 1917–2007
- Barry Levinson Film director · b. 1942
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Barry mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Bairre, short form of Fionnbharr, from fionn (“white”) + barr (“head”).
How popular is the name Barry in 2025?
Barry ranked #1,520 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 114 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Barry?
182,036 babies have been named Barry in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Barry most popular?
Barry peaked in 1962, when 6,611 newborns received the name.
Is Barry a boy or girl name?
Barry is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Barry rising or falling?
Barry has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Barry?
Well-known people named Barry include Barry White (singer), Barry Barish (physicist), Barry Seal (extremist).