BARBOUR
Barbour is an occupational surname of French origin, first recognised in the early thirteenth century. It was adopted by individuals whose profession was the cutting of hair and shaving of beards, a trade that in the Middle Ages also encompassed certain surgical duties.
The name derives from the Old French word barbier, itself borrowed from the Latin barbarius, a form of barba meaning ‘beard’. In medieval society the barber was a skilled practitioner; beyond aesthetic services, barbers performed tooth‑pulling and minor surgical operations, a role that gave rise to the term barber‑surgeon.
The earliest documented use of the family name is as Alan le Barbur in the Assize Court Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221, during the reign of King Henry VIII, known as “The Frenchman” (1216‑1272). Later records include Thomas le Barber (London, 1282) and Seykin le Barbier (London, 1299). In Scotland the surname appears in 1604 when Sara, daughter of Thomas Barbour, was christened at the parish of Edinburgh, Midlothian. Further mention is made of Robert Barbour and Margaret Wright’s marriage in Baswick, Staffordshire, on 16 January 1607, and the christening of John Barbour in Abaston, Staffordshire, on 22 June 1631.
The distribution of the name in later centuries expanded from its Scottish roots to northern and eastern parts of England, notably Northumberland, Cumberland and Norfolk. In the United Kingdom the concentration of families named Barbour is still strongest in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a pattern that reflects historic links between Scotland and the Irish colonies. Migration to the United States brought many bearers of the name to Virginia and the Carolinas during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, where the surname later found a significant presence in the Southern states. Today the name is also found in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to its original locales within the British Isles.
Variations of the surname have arisen from phonetic transcriptions and regional dialects. Common variants include Barber, Barbier, Barbor, Barbi and Barbieri; less frequent forms are Barbeau, Barboni, Barby, and Barba. These spellings illustrate the early lack of standardisation in record‑keeping and the influence of local languages such as French, Gaelic and Middle English. In some regions the name has been further altered through Anglicisation, producing forms such as Barberry and Barberree.
The heraldic arms belonging to a baronial line of the name are described as follows: Argent, a saltire gules between a garb in chief and two escallops in fesse, the other in base azure. Crest – a passion cross on three grieces gules. The tinctures and charges reflect both the courage of a valiant family and the pastoral aspects of their territorial heritage.
Prominent individuals bearing the surname include Pat Barbour, a noted Scottish footballer born in the early twentieth century, and Haley Barbour, the former Governor of the United States state of Mississippi, whose political career in the early twenty‑first century continues to draw public attention.
Typical given names associated with the Barbour surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- George
- James
- John
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Julia
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Barber
- Barbar
- Barbare
- Barbara
- Barbard
- Barbarez
- Barbari
- Barbaria
- Barbaric
- Barbarin
- Barbaro
- Barbary
- Barbaud
- Barbaur
- Barbeary
- Barbeau
- Barbeiro
- Barbera
- Barberan
- Barbere
- Barbereau
- Barberel
- Barberet
- Barberg
- Barberi
- Barberio
- Barberis
- Barbero
- Barberry
- Barbers
- Barbert
- Barbery
- Barbier
- Barbiera
- Barbiere
- Barbieri
- Barbiero
- Barbieux
- Barbir
- Barbor
- Barboro
- Barbra
- Barbre
- Barbur
- Barbury
- Barfour
- Berbar
- Berber
- Berberi
- Berbiers
- Bierber
- Borbor
- Borburg
- Braber
- Brebaer
- Brebber
- Brebour
- Burber
- Burbeury
- Burborough
- Burburry
- Burbury
- Barbieru
- Bayorbor
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Barbour in...
Braille
⠃⠁⠗⠃⠕⠥⠗
Morse
-....-.-.-...---..-.-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,314 people named Barbour in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,740th most common surname in Britain. Around 51 in a million people in Britain are named Barbour.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Barbour
- Mary Barbour - Politician (1875 to 1958)
- Robin Barbour - Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (1921 to 2014)
- Ross Barbour - Football player
- Robert Barbour - Flying ace (1895 to 1)
- Alexander Barbour - Scottish football player (1862 to 1930)
- Tommy Barbour - Football player (1887 to 1967)
- Billy Barbour - Football player (1865 to 1900)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.