Barnes

An Irish surname of Antrim. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 218,241 people, the 110th most common surname in the country.

Barnes is the anglicised form of three distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Bearnais

Ó Bearáin, descendant of Bearán (stripling, diminutive of bear, a spear, spit, javelin)

Ó Bioráin, descendant of Biorán (stripling, diminutive of bior , a spear, spit). This family stood in Co. Tipperary.

Where the name comes from

Barnes covers two names that both mean a stripling. Ó Bearáin is descendant of Bearán, a diminutive of bear, a spear or javelin, an old surname in Thomond and Tyrconnell, written O Barrane, O Barran and Berrane before Barnes and Barron took over.

Ó Bioráin is the same name in Tipperary and East Limerick, from bior, a spear, and it has scattered further than any of them: O Birrain, O Byrran, Birrane, Byrane, Brawn, Byron, Byrne, Burns and Barnes are all the same word.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

Antrim, photographed

Photographs made in Antrim.

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Black and white photograph of a rainstorm sweeping across the Skerries islands off the North Antrim coast near PortrushRainstorm, the Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over Bengore Head with waves rolling over rocks, Co. Antrim, Ireland — fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxBengore Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over the Skerries coast in County Antrim with warm light reflecting on wet sand and rock formationsThe Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

All Antrim prints

Notable bearers

Julian Barnes (born 1946), writer, journalist, and novelist.

Djuna Barnes (1892-1982), writer, journalist, and novelist.

Ben Barnes (born 1981), actor, writer, and musician.

John Barnes (born 1963), sports commentator.

Harvey Barnes (born 1997), association football player.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Smith · Brown · Miller · Wilson · Anderson · Thomas · Taylor · Moore · Jackson · Martin · Lee · Thompson

How common the name was

In 1890, 26 births were registered under Barnes in Ireland, most of them in Antrim.

Ulster 14
Leinster 7
Connacht 3
Munster 2
Ireland 26