BARRINGER
Origin
The surname Barringer is of English origin and is first recorded in the British Isles. In its earliest form it is an occupational or locative name derived from the Old English word beorg, meaning "hill", with the suffix -ing indicating "descendant of". Thus the name can be interpreted as "descendant of the hill" and historically referred to a person who lived near or on a hill.
However, Barringer also has a Norman‑French element. After the Conquest of 1066 the personal name Berengier was introduced into England. This name is composed of the elements bern (a bear) and geri (spear). Its popularity in the early medieval period was reinforced by the character Berenguer in the Charlemagne romances. Barringer appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Belingar and again in 1219 as Berenger. Early legal and ecclesiastical records record names such as Hugo Berengeri (1190, Danelaw Charters), Walter Beneger (1208, Gloucestershire), Reginald Beringer (1260, Cambridgeshire) and John Belinger (1275, Worcestershire). These early documents demonstrate the evolution of the surname from Berengier to Barringer.
Germanic Roots
The surname also derives from the German personal name Berenger. In German it is a compound of ber ("bear") and geri ("spear"), so the full meaning is "bear‑spear". This type of surname was normally a nickname for a brave or fierce fighter. Scribes of the Middle Ages recorded the name in many spellings, often according to how it sounded, giving rise to variations such as Beringer, Berringer, Behringer and Eugenie Barringer.
In Southern Germany the name appears in forms such as Bäringer, Baeringer and Beranger. Some families used the prefix de, von or van to indicate nobility or geographical origin, yielding titles such as von Barringer or van Barringer. In England the most common variants are Beringer, Baringer, Barringer, Berenguer, Beranger and Berdinger.
Distribution and Notable Bearers
Today the surname Barringer is most frequently found in the United States, where there is a marked concentration in the state of North Carolina. It is also present in other English‑speaking countries including Canada, Australia and England. The name has gained particular scientific recognition through Daniel Moreau Barringer, who pioneered the study of meteorite impacts and for whom the Barringer Crater in Arizona (also known as Meteor Crater) is named. Another eminent bearer of the name is Eugenie Barringer, a renowned miniature artist.
Typical given names associated with the Barringer surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Lee
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Jill
- Joyce
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Ruth
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Baringer
- Baring
- Barenger
- Baranger
- Baringham
- Barranger
- Barrenger
- Barring
- Barringham
- Bearing
- Behringer
- Beranger
- Berenger
- Bering
- Beringer
- Berrenger
- Berring
- Berringer
- Berringham
- Biring
- Birring
- Boehringer
- Bohringer
- Boring
- Branger
- Brangier
- Braniger
- Bringer
- Bronger
- Brounger
- Brunger
- Buring
- Burring
- Burringham
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Barringer in...
Braille
⠃⠁⠗⠗⠊⠝⠛⠑⠗
Morse
-....-.-..-...-.--...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 482 people named Barringer in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around seven in a million people in Britain are named Barringer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Barringer
- Anthony R. Barringer - Canadian geologist (1925 to 2009)
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.