An English surname of Barnett comes from the Old English word of ‘baernet’ which refers to a location cleared by burning the vegetation.

Spelling variations for Barnett include Baratt, Burnet, Burnett, Barnet and Barnette.

Barnett started in the Lancashire region. In England the Barnett surname is now in the northern regions of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire counties. It is also in the city of London and Kent county.

The central and eastern regions of Scotland have a high population of Barnett families. Many in Aberdeenshire and the Islands of Orkney.

Barnett is a common surname in most of Ireland.

The Barnett surname is located throughout most of the United States from the Northeast, the South, to the mid-west and the Great Plains. The states with the higher percentage of Barnett families are California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee.


Famous: Samuel Jackson Barnett (discovered the Barnett effect - magnetization of an uncharged item when spun on its axis), Tom Barnett (professional football player), Lincoln Barnett (editor of Life Magazine), Charles Barnett (actor and comic) and Samuel Barnett (actor in England).