Surname Barrington - Meaning and Origin

Barrington: What does the surname Barrington mean?

The surname Barrington is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is derived from the Old English words "Bearu" (which means "grove") and "tun" (which means "town"). The original bearer of the surname lived close to an area where there were many trees, making it a place of refuge or settlement. The place name likely referred to a similar geographic feature in a person's ancestral homeland.

The surname Barrington is associated with a variety of locations across the United Kingdom, including Barrington in the county of Somerset, Barrington in the county of Bedfordshire, Barrington in the county of Durham, and Barrington in the county of Huntingdonshire.

In the United States, the Barrington surname is most often encountered as an Americanized version of the German surname "Bartholomae," which is derived from the personal name Bartholomae. This surname is often listed as being of Irish origin, traceable to the Anglicization of the Irish name 'de Bairrtighearnaigh'.

In more recent history, the surname has been given to individuals both in the United States and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the Barringtons are often associated with wealth and prestige, in part due to the Barrington family of Rhode Island, which was influential during the country's early years.

The surname Barrington is associated with a variety of locations and cultures, making it an interesting family name to explore. Its meanings of refuge and settlement make it a fitting symbol of belonging and stability.

Barrington: Where does the name Barrington come from?

The surname Barrington is likely of Anglo-Saxon and Irish origin, possibly derived from the Olde English terms "beara" meaning barley and "tun," which means enclosure, settlement or farm. The surname is most commonly found in Great Britain and parts of Ireland.

Today, Barrington is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, particularly England and Scotland. In Scotland, Barrington is found in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In England, the name is primarily found in London and the Southeast and Southwest of England. The Isle of Wight in particular has a concentration of people with the name Barrington.

Barrington is also commonly found in Australia, with particularly high concentrations around Melbourne and Perth, along with smaller numbers in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney. Barrington has also made its way to the United States and Canada, with clusters in California, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Barrington is also found in select parts of New Zealand and South Africa, but numbers are much lower. Overall, the name Barrington is still most prominently found in the United Kingdom and is becoming increasingly popular throughout the English-speaking world.

Variations of the surname Barrington

The surname Barrington is derived from a place-name and refers to someone originally from Barrington, a village located in the English county of Somerset. It can also be spelled as Barringdon, Barrinton, Berryngton, Barington or Barringtun.

The variants Barrington and Barringdon occurred mainly in the southeastern portion of England, particularly in the counties of Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. Variants such as Barringtun and Barington are more commonly found in the northern parts of England, especially the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Staffordshire.

The early versions of the surname include Ufdebarintun, de Barintone, de Beryngton and de Baretton. The variations ending with ‘–ton’, such as Barrington and Barington, are thought to come from Old English ‘tun’ meaning settlement.

Surnames associated with Barrington include Barrington-Smith, Barrington-Brookes, Barrington-Brown, Barrington-Johnson, Barrington-Jones and Barrington-Taylor. These variations developed over time as people moved to different regions of England and added a second surname to the original Barrington.

In addition, there are many foreign translations of the name, such as Barring (Swedish and Norwegian), Barrenschoeld (Dutch), Barring (Danish and German), Borrington (Spanish), La Barrington (French), Berrington (Italian) and Barrinhton (Portuguese).

Famous people with the name Barrington

• Henry Barrington, former professional footballer
• Miles Barrington, retired US Army officer
• Joseph Barrington-Ward, British Major-General
• Ed Barrington, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Charles Barrington, former artistic director of the Royal Opera House
• David Barrington, English cricketer
• Chloe Barrington, professional dancer and artist
• Richard Barrington, professional rugby union player
• Robert Barrington, English architect
• Sir Francis Barrington, British political figure

Other surnames

Barringer