Barry

Barry can represent the Irish name Bearach, traditionally connected with a spear, or serve as a familiar form of Finbarr. The latter has a different meaning associated with fair hair. These are separate routes into the same English spelling, so “spear” is not necessarily the intended meaning for every person called Barry.

Musician Barry White and baseball player Barry Bonds are recognizable bearers, while Barack Obama used Barry as a familiar name when younger. That last example is a personal nickname relationship, not evidence that Barry and Barack have the same origin. The full family name or the relative being honored can therefore be especially helpful in explaining which story lies behind Barry.