Barr as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Barr

What is the meaning of the name Barr ?

The baby name Barr is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced BAR (IPA: /bɑːr/ or /bɑr/).

Barr is Gaelic, Scottish in Origin.

Barr is an English and Scottish surname turned given name, rooted primarily in Gaelic barr “top, summit, hill,” attested in Scottish and Irish place‑names. In Ireland it also functions as a short form of Finbarr/Fionnbharr (“fair‑headed one”), the patron saint of Cork, which yielded Barry. Another stream of the surname derives from Middle English barre “bar, toll‑gate,” for someone who lived near a barrier. While sometimes associated with Hebrew/Aramaic bar “son of,” that is a separate etymology; Barr as an English given name does not share that meaning.

As a forename, Barr surfaced in the 19th century and saw some 20th‑century use in Britain and North America under the surname‑as‑first trend; it remains rare, mainly masculine, with occasional unisex adoption. Variants and related forms include Bar, Barre, Barré, Barra, Barry, Finbar, and Finbarr. The core Gaelic sense evokes height, prominence, and leadership.