Barrette
A French feminine name meaning "little bar", referring to an ornamental hair clip.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Barrette. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Barrette today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Barrette births was 1962 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Barrette. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Barrette. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1962
6 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1962 SSA rank
#3,668
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Barrette: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Barrette by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Barrette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Barrette
The name Barrette has its origins in the French language, deriving from the word "barrette," which means a small bar or clasp used to hold hair in place. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone who manufactured or sold these hair accessories.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barrette dates back to the late 16th century in France. In 1598, a record mentions a Pierre Barrette, a merchant from the city of Lyon. However, it is unclear if this was used as a given name or a surname at the time.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Barrette was relatively uncommon, but a few notable individuals bore this name. In 1642, François Barrette, a French soldier and explorer, was born in Normandy. He later participated in the colonization efforts in North America, settling in what is now Quebec, Canada.
Another notable figure was Marie-Anne Barrette, a French author and playwright who lived from 1718 to 1789. She was known for her works that explored themes of love, betrayal, and societal conventions.
In the 19th century, the name gained some popularity in certain regions of France and Canada. Pierre-Édouard Barrette, a Canadian politician and lawyer, was born in 1861 and served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the name Barrette was the French actress and singer, Yvette Barrette, who was born in 1907 and passed away in 1982. She was renowned for her performances in numerous films and theatrical productions.
Another notable figure was the American artist and illustrator, Edna Barrette, who lived from 1918 to 2002. She was known for her vibrant and whimsical illustrations, particularly for children's books and magazines.
While the name Barrette has its roots in French culture, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, though it remains relatively uncommon as a given name.
People
Barrette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Barrette as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Barrette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Barrette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Barrette going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Barrette a common name?
We classify Barrette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Barrette most popular?
The single biggest year for Barrette was 1962, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Barrette is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Barrette in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Barrette a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Barrette in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Barrette still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Barrette in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Barrette can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Barrette?
You can see how many people have the name Barrette on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.