Barra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Barra

What is the meaning of the name Barra ?

The baby name Barra is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ˈbɑːrə (BAR-ə),ˈbærə (BAR-uh).

Barra is Irish, Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Barra is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic given name, chiefly masculine, that serves as a short form of Fionnbharr/Finbarr (from Old Irish fionn “fair, white” + barr “crest, head, summit”), yielding the meaning “fair‑topped” or “fair‑haired.” It is closely associated with St Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork (6th–7th century), and tradition links the Hebridean island of Barra (Gaelic: Barraigh) to the same saint, which helped sustain the name in Scottish usage. While rare today, Barra appears in medieval records as Bairre/Barra and is occasionally chosen in modern times either as a Gaelic alternative to Barry or in homage to the island.

Variants and related forms include Bairre (Old Irish), Barry (Anglicized), Finbar, Finbarr, Finbarre, and Fionnbharr. Unrelated in origin, Arabic feminine Barra/Barrah means “pious, virtuous,” a form attested in early Islamic sources, explaining occasional female use outside Gaelic contexts.