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Barrett Family History

Barrett Name Meaning

English and Irish (of Norman origin): probably a nickname for a quarrelsome person from Old French barat Middle English bar(r)at bar(r)et(te) ‘trouble distress’ later ‘deception fraud; contention strife’. Through Norman settlement it also became common in Ireland where it was Gaelicized as Baróid (Munster) and Baréid (Connacht).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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

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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 USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 917 Barrett families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Barrett's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Barrett families in 1911.
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.

What did your Barrett ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Barrett. 30% of Barrett men worked as a Farmer and 19% of Barrett women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Barrett were Carpenter and Domestic. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    19%
  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Domestic
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

View all Barrett military records

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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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