Barnette
A surname most likely from a place name, especially Barnet in England, meaning a person from that area.
The #4,178 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,409 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Barnette is generally understood as a variant spelling of Barnett, a surname from the English place name Barnet. That place name is usually taken to come from Old English words meaning a cleared or reclaimed piece of land, though the exact early form is debated. The final -e spelling is a later spelling variant rather than a separate root.
History
Barnett and Barnette have long circulated as English surnames, with Barnette especially common as an American spelling variation. In many cases the name was carried by families who had originally been identified by their connection to Barnet or to a similar local place-name. Over time, spelling often shifted when records were kept phonetically or families standardized their own preferred form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Barnette is much less common than Barnett, but both names are often treated as the same surname family in genealogical records.