Barre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Barre

What does the name Barre mean?

The name is originally of Norman origin, deriving from the old French word "barri," meaning "rampart;" though, it is also thought that a small number of bearers of this name come from the Gaelic names "ó Beargha," or "ó Báire."

Early Origins of the Barre family

The surname Barre was first found in Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. "The Barrys were amongst the earliest Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland, and have held large possessions in the county of Cork ever since the reign of Henry II. They had immense possessions, and their chief seat, Castle Lyons, vied in splendor with the most celebrated mansions in the South of Ireland. Their early residences at Barryscourt and Buttevant were also extensive and strong. " 1

Phillip de Barry (fl. 1183), was a warrior, the son of William de Barry, by Angharat, uterine sister of Robert Fitz-Stephen. "Having received from his uncle a grant of three cantreds in his own half of 'the kingdom of Cork,' viz. Olethan (north of Cork), afterwards 'Barrymore,' Muskerry Donegan (round Baltimore), and Killede, he came to Ireland at the end of February 1183, accompanied by his brother Gerald and their followers, to take possession and to assist his uncle Fitz-Stephen. " 2

"The Barrys of Ballyclough, spring from a second son of Barry of Lisnegar, and their present chief, James Barry, Esq., of Ballyclough, is the direct lineal representative of the Anglo- Norman Barry, who, with others, invaded Ireland in 1171. His property of Ballyclough, he inherits from his maternal ancestors, the Purdons." 1

Early History of the Barre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barre research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1179, 1490, 1535, 1550, 1591, 1603, 1605, 1617, 1627, 1641, 1642, 1659, 1672, 1692, 1703, 1713, 1715, 1717 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Barre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barre Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Barry, Barrie, Barre, de Barri, Barrey, Barree and many more.

Early Notables of the Barre family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was David Fitz-James de Barry, 18th Baron Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant (c. 1550-1617), an Irish peer; "Lo" (James) Barry (ca. 1591), considered to be the first Irish dramatist: David Barry, Earl of Barrymore (1605-1642), a soldier killed in the war of...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barre Ranking

In the United States, the name Barre is the 9,744^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Barre is ranked the 148^th most popular surname with an estimated 21,027 people with that name. 4

Barre migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Barre Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Barre who arrived in New York in 1680
James Barre, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1680 5

Barre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Henry Barre, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1718 5
Jacob Barre, Sr. and Jacob Barre, Jr., both of whom arrived in Pennsylvania in 1718
Jacob Barre Jr., who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1718 5
John George Barre, who landed in South Carolina in 1735 5

Barre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. P. Barre, age 28, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1821
L. P. Barre, age 27, who settled in New York City in 1821
S Barre, who arrived in Arkansas in 1892 5

Barre Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Peter Barre, who landed in Arkansas in 1901 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Barre (post 1700) +

William de la Barre (1849-1936), Austrian-born, American civil engineer who developed a new process for milling wheat into flour using energy-saving steel rollers at the Washburn-Crosby Mills (now known as General Mills)
Raoul Weston La Barre (1911-1996), American anthropologist, best known for his work in ethnobotany
Raoul Barré (1874-1932), Canadian-born, American cartoonist and animator of the silent film era
William Joseph Barre (1830-1867), Irish architect, best known for his many buildings in Belfast in a Gothic Revival style
Isaac Barré (1726-1802), Irish soldier and politician, Treasurer of the Navy in 1782, Paymaster of the Forces (1782-1783), famous for coining the term "Sons of Liberty"
Abdirahman Jama Barre (1937-2017), Somali politician, Minister of Finance of the Somali Democratic Republic (1987-1991)
Mohamed Siad Barre (1919-1995), President of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969-91
Martin Lancelot Barre (b. 1946), English rock musician, best known for his work with the rock band Jethro Tull
Pierre-Yves Barré (1749-1832), French vaudevillist and song-writer
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré (1732-1824), French architect, one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' of architecture
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)