The Art of Literary Nomenclature

ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of the Irish “Bairre”, ultimately meaning “fair-haired”, or “Berach”, meaning “sharp”; or from Welsh, meaning “son of Harry“; or possibly from the French place name “Berri”; or a diminutive of names like “Barney“, “Barrett”, “Bernard“, “Beruch”, “Finbar”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bairrfhionn, Barrfind, Bairre, Barney, Barra, Barrie, Bary, Baz, Bazza, Bearach, Berach, Bernard, Berri, Berry, Beruch, Finbar, Finbarr, Finnbar, Finnbarr, Fionnbarra, Fionnbharr, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Barry, the name of more than one of the boys Lily dates, who perhaps not-so-coincidentally often have names which rhyme with her long-absent father, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

Tagged: 1950s, 1980s, B, English, Irish, Welsh

§ One Response to Barry

• Berry | The Art of Literary Nomenclature says:

  August 7, 2015 at 6:12 am

  […] etc., or simply referring to the fruit. As a masculine name, an alternate spelling of “Barry“, from Irish, meaning “fair hair” or […]

  LikeLike

  Reply