Surname Barnes - Meaning and Origin
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Unveiling the Celtic Roots and Age-Old Legacy of the Barnes Surname with the iGENEA DNA Test
Venturing into the riveting world of genealogy, I used the iGENEA DNA test to discover fascinating insights about the Celtic origins and ancient lineage of the Barnes surname and even found potential distant relatives!
H. Barnes
read moreBarnes: What does the surname Barnes mean?
The last name Barnes is of English origin and dates back to the pre-Migration Era of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. In its earliest form, Barnes was derived from the personal name of Barne, which is thought to be derived from the Old English "beorn" meaning "warrior". The prefix "Beorn" was often used for strong male characters in Anglo-Saxon literature.
The term was often used to describe a trait of a certain group of people and in some cases a name associated with physical strength. Barnes was also sometimes used as a name for those who owned or managed barns and other storage areas.
Variations of the surname spellings over time include Bernard, Bam and Bernall, while the name eventually became "Barnes" during the Middle Ages. The use of this surname spread throughout England, Wales and Scotland, as well as parts of Europe with English immigrants. The Barnes family continued to be influential in their local areas throughout the centuries, eventually settling down in America in the early 1700s.
The name Barnes is today recognized as one of the oldest English surnames and continues to be a popular name for families of many different backgrounds and origins. The Barnes remains as a reminder of the ancestral legacy of strength, courage and perseverance.
Order DNA origin analysisBarnes: Where does the name Barnes come from?
The last name Barnes is most common today in countries of English-speaking origin. It has highest frequency in the United Kingdom, followed by the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In 2020, the Simmons-Fu Report listed the Barnes surname as the 33rd most common surname in the United Kingdom.
The name is of English and Scottish origin and derives from the old Middle English word "barn", which means "barley house" or granary. It is likely associated with the official responsible for the administration of a village barn in medieval England. The surname Barnes can also be derived from a location name or habitation name. For example, it could originate from a place named Barnes in either Middlesex or Surrey in England. It could also be derived from the Old English word "beorn", which touches upon the idea of a brave one or warrior.
The Barnes family lived in Yorkshire, in the Yorkshire North Riding district near the city of York. In 1891, Barnes was the 23rd most popular name in the county.
Barnes appears as a surname in many old records and is still present in modern times. According to many genealogists, the Barnes family name is first recorded in the 12th century in England. It arrived in the United States in the early 1620s, when the first settlers with the Barnes surname arrived in Virginia and Massachusetts. It can also be found in Canada, South America, Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere.
Today, Barnes remains a widely used surname with its own unique family histories and stories.
Variations of the surname Barnes
The surname Barnes has a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These alternate spellings include Barns, Barne, Baren, Barney, Barnse, Barnee, and Bernes. A few examples of more distant variants include Barna, Barnek, Barnett, Barnet, Bairns, Barnev, Barnetto, Barnehy, Baran and Barness.
Barnes is an English and Scottish patronymic surname, derived from the name of the father, with the prefix "Bar," derived from the Old English, meaning "son of." The Barnes surname could have also been acquired by a nickname referring to a person with a barn-like physique, as well as a topographical name for someone living near a barn.
In Ireland, Barnes belongs to the O'Barnes, MacBarnes, McBarnes or Barns families in Ulster, Connacht and Leinster. This Irish surname is derived from the Gaelic surname O'hAinbhearain, which means "descendant of Ailbhearain," or "nobleman," with Ainc meaning "noble" and bheraan meaning "poet".
In Wales, the surname Barnes originated either as an Angliczaiion of the Welsh surname ap Ernaint, meaning "son of Ernaint," or as an Anglicized form of the word barnes or bernes, meaning "a tower" or a fortified dwelling.
In Scotland, Barnes is derived from the Old English name Bern which is an abbreviation of Beorn which means "wealthy and honorable man".
Overall, the surname Barnes has a range of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These numerous alternatives provide an intricate web of related names, all with the same beginning.
Famous people with the name Barnes
- Julian Barnes: An English writer of fiction, essays, and poetry.
- Dj Barnes: A professional basketball player who currently plays for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League.
- Alisa Barnes: An Australian actress best known for her roles in television series such as Stingers, All Saints, and Chase.
- George Barnes: An Emmy award-winning cinematographer known for his work on the original Twilight Zone series.
- Jesse Barnes: A former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies from 1922 to 1929.
- Clarence Barnes: An American professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Sharina Barnes: An American actress known for her roles in movies such as Shaft, Sweet Revenge and The Ladies Man.
- Gavin Barnes: An English stage, television, and film actor best known for his roles in Matters of Life and Death, Red Dwarf, and Shadows of the Stone Benders.
- Charles Barnes: An American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the soul band The Delfonics.
- Robert Barnes: An American theater and film director known for his work on films such as Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and White Men Can't Jump.