Barrett

Barrett arrived as a medieval English surname, likely from Old French barat, meaning trade or bargaining, the kind of name a shrewd merchant passed down. Elizabeth Barrett Browning lent it poetry; Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's founder, lent it psychedelia. It crossed into first-name use slowly, then accelerated in the 2010s as parents warmed to surnames with strong consonants. Currently at rank 186, Barrett combines the crispness of a three-piece suit with the ease of a last-name-first charm. The double r rolls, the two t's stop clean. Nicknames are few, which suits a name that prefers to be used in full. Confident, polished, a little literary.