Barney Boy

Popularity: #933 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: BAR-nee //ˈbɑːrni//

Origin: English; Hebrew

Meaning: English: son of comfort; Hebrew: son of the right hand

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Barney is derived from the Hebrew name "Barnaba," which means "son of consolation" or "son of the prophet." This name was adapted into Greek as "Barnabas" and subsequently entered Latin as "Barnabas" as well. The transition into Old French occurred during the medieval period, where it was often used in various forms before finally arriving in English as Barney.

The name is closely associated with the biblical figure Barnabas, a companion of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, who played a significant role in the early Christian church during the 1st century CE. Historically, the name gained prominence due to its biblical roots, particularly through the Acts of the Apostles, where Barnabas is depicted as a key figure in the spread of Christianity.

His contributions to the early church and missionary work were significant enough to ensure that the name remained in use throughout the centuries. The name was also borne by various saints, further solidifying its place in Christian tradition.

The King James Bible, first published in 1611, helped to popularize biblical names, including Barnabas, among English speakers. Culturally, the name Barney has been associated with notions of support and companionship, reflecting its etymological meaning.

In various traditions, names derived from biblical figures often carry a sense of moral or spiritual significance, which has contributed to their endurance over time. The diminutive form, Barney, has been used affectionately in various contexts, though it is primarily recognized as a standalone name.

Overall, the historical and cultural resonance of the name Barney is deeply rooted in its biblical origins and the legacy of its namesake.

Famous people named Barney

In this section, you will find notable people named Barney. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Barney who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Barney who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Barney Rubble is a fictional character best known as Fred Flintstone's best friend in The Flintstones.

Barney Stinson is a fictional character best known for his role in the television series How I Met Your Mother.

Fictional characters named Barney

The following list of fictional characters named Barney is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Barney Stinson is a fictional character from the TV series How I Met Your Mother. He is a charming and womanizing friend known for his outrageous antics and catchphrases.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Barney, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CharlieHenryOliverLeoMaxSam

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Barney. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

BernieBennyBaxterBartholomewBlaineBodhiBradyBrock

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Barney was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Barney has ranked as high as #693 nationally, which occurred in 1919, and has been most popular in Texas, New York, California, Georgia, and Alabama.

In the past 5 years the name Barney has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Barney is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Barney was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Barney.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 5 5 0
2024 7 7 0
2020 5 5 0
2019 5 5 0
2016 7 7 0
2015 6 6 0
2014 5 5 0
2013 8 8 0
2010 6 6 0
2007 6 6 0
2006 6 6 0
2004 6 6 0
2002 7 7 0
2001 5 5 0
1999 7 7 0
1998 12 12 0
1997 13 13 0
1996 8 8 0
1995 12 12 0
1994 17 17 0
1993 21 21 0
1992 25 25 0
1991 28 28 0
1990 30 30 0
1989 23 23 0
1988 45 45 0
1987 33 33 0
1986 38 38 0
1985 41 41 0
1984 43 43 0
1983 47 47 0
1982 49 49 0
1981 53 53 0
1980 58 58 0
1979 60 60 0
1978 62 62 0
1977 68 68 0
1976 77 77 0
1975 62 62 0
1974 77 77 0
1973 74 74 0
1972 90 90 0
1971 100 100 0
1970 85 85 0
1969 97 97 0
1968 96 96 0
1967 98 98 0
1966 121 121 0
1965 133 133 0
1964 185 185 0
1963 172 167 5
1962 211 211 0
1961 223 223 0
1960 272 267 5
1959 241 241 0
1958 262 262 0
1957 277 271 6
1956 260 260 0
1955 275 275 0
1954 265 259 6
1953 297 297 0
1952 283 283 0
1951 260 260 0
1950 264 264 0
1949 219 219 0
1948 255 255 0
1947 273 267 6
1946 225 225 0
1945 217 211 6
1944 225 220 5
1943 220 220 0
1942 179 179 0
1941 178 178 0
1940 194 194 0
1939 193 188 5
1938 183 183 0
1937 209 209 0
1936 206 206 0
1935 184 184 0
1934 200 200 0
1933 180 180 0
1932 164 164 0
1931 181 181 0
1930 216 216 0
1929 205 205 0
1928 208 208 0
1927 200 193 7
1926 219 214 5
1925 238 230 8
1924 275 275 0
1923 268 260 8
1922 263 263 0
1921 296 289 7
1920 268 263 5
1919 304 304 0
1918 299 299 0
1917 298 298 0
1916 272 265 7
1915 276 276 0
1914 241 241 0
1913 185 185 0
1912 159 159 0
1911 99 99 0
1910 71 71 0
1909 62 62 0
1908 58 58 0
1907 64 64 0
1906 71 71 0
1905 70 70 0
1904 53 53 0
1903 50 50 0
1902 50 50 0
1901 34 34 0
1900 83 83 0
1899 50 50 0
1898 73 73 0
1897 58 58 0
1896 58 58 0
1895 55 55 0
1894 52 52 0
1893 63 63 0
1892 70 70 0
1891 49 49 0
1890 44 44 0
1889 54 54 0
1888 69 69 0
1887 58 58 0
1886 65 65 0
1885 43 43 0
1884 62 62 0
1883 48 48 0
1882 52 52 0
1881 40 40 0
1880 44 44 0

Top States for Barney (1993)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 7
100%