Total births
181,270
Boys' name · since 1883
Barry
Barry has 181,270 recorded births since 1883 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1962 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1413
- among boys today
- 181,270
- born since 1883
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Barry currently ranks #1413 among boys' names in America, with 181,270 babies recorded since 1883.
Social Security Administration records show Barry recorded 181,270 times among boys since 1883, holding rank #1413 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #1413 among boys today
- 181,270 born since 1883
- 1950s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Barry is currently the #1413 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 181,270 born since 1883, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1413
- among boys today
- 181,270
- born since 1883
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Barry vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1413
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Barry was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
6,585 babies were named Barry in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Barry compares
181,270 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Barry's all-time total is 494x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Barry | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 181,270 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,585 | 23 | 22,252 |
Barry's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Barry splits its recorded history at 1959: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 6,585 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Barry at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#1,413
Active since
1883
Barry popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 6,585
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Barry popularity over time - girls
766 total births recorded since 1931 (Barry as girls' name)
Barry by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Barry's strongest decade.
54,812 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Barry births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 28
1880s
28 births
- 1890s 38
1890s
38 births
- 1900s 72
1900s
72 births
- 1910s 244
1910s
244 births
- 1920s 741
1920s
741 births
- 1930s 6,644
1930s
6,644 births
- 1940s
1940s
36,192 births
- 1950s
1950s
54,812 births
- 1960s
1960s
47,221 births
- 1970s 17,246
1970s
17,246 births
- 1980s 9,922
1980s
9,922 births
- 1990s 4,224
1990s
4,224 births
- 2000s 1,831
2000s
1,831 births
- 2010s 1,326
2010s
1,326 births
- 2020s 729
2020s
729 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 54,812 births (30% of all-time use).
How Barry compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Barry's total volume
Barry vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Barry by state
Where Barry concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 20,279 | 11.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 19,150 | 10.6% |
| #3 | California | | 10,513 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 7,350 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 7,347 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 7,299 | 4.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 6,950 | 3.8% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 6,617 | 3.7% |
Pennsylvania share of Barry's total US births 11.2%
Even split
20,279 of 181,270 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Barry appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Barry? ▼
181,270 babies have been named Barry since 1883. It currently ranks #1413 among boys. The peak year was 1962 with 6,585 births.
When was Barry most popular? ▼
Barry was most popular in the 1950s decade with 54,812 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Barry most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Barry are Pennsylvania (20,279 births), New York (19,150 births), California (10,513 births).
How long has the name Barry been used? ▼
Records for Barry go back to 1883, giving 143 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Barry? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Barrett, Bart, Barney, Barton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Barry's data
- Barry's decade-level peak was the 1950s (54,812 total births); usage has since declined to 729 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Barrys (20,279 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Barry
Nearby Names Like Barry
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Barry
Barrett Boy
#187 33,425 births
Bart Boy
16,356 births
Barney Boy
#9895 16,090 births
Barton Boy
#12365 9,371 births
Baron Boy
#1511 7,059 births
Compare Barry side by side: Barry vs Barrett Barry vs Bart Barry vs Barney
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Barry
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Barry: #1413 Boys' Name - 181,270 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/barry. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Barry draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.