Barnaby
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- BAR-na-bee
- Origin
- Aramaic
- UK rank, 2025
- #204 for boys
Barnaby is a boys' name of Aramaic origin, meaning “son of encouragement”. In 2025 it ranked 204th for boys in the UK (277 babies).
What does Barnaby mean?
Aramaic: English form of Barnabas
“son of encouragement”
Dickens used it for the title hero of his novel Barnaby Rudge (1841).
More on Wiktionary.
Is Barnaby a girl's or a boy's name?
Barnaby is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 277 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Barnaby in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #204among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 277about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 277 boys in the UK were named Barnaby, making it the 204th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 233rd. Its busiest year was 2014, with 288 boys.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more boys named Barnaby than any year since 2015.
Half of all the boys named Barnaby in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 185th in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
Barnaby in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 277 | #204 |
| 2024 | 257 | #217 |
| 2023 | 204 | #255 |
| 2022 | 180 | #290 |
| 2021 | 225 | #250 |
| 2020 | 241 | #233 |
| 2019 | 191 | #281 |
| 2018 | 207 | #275 |
| 2017 | 234 | #254 |
| 2016 | 242 | #253 |
| 2015 | 282 | #225 |
| 2014 | 288 | #220 |
| 2013 | 251 | #233 |
| 2012 | 261 | #225 |
| 2011 | 215 | #252 |
| 2010 | 215 | #252 |
| 2009 | 178 | #279 |
| 2008 | 178 | #270 |
| 2007 | 156 | #283 |
| 2006 | 163 | #258 |
| 2005 | 154 | #251 |
| 2004 | 149 | #252 |
| 2003 | 127 | #270 |
| 2002 | 108 | #290 |
| 2001 | 108 | #285 |
| 2000 | 98 | #311 |
| 1999 | 96 | #319 |
| 1998 | 103 | #290 |
| 1997 | 109 | #284 |
| 1996 | 115 | #271 |
Nicknames for Barnaby
- Barney 185 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Barnaby
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lenny Rory Dougie Brody Vinnie Cody Zachary Osian Ralphie Rafferty Beau Casey
More Aramaic names
Thomas Tommy Martha Barney Tabitha Tomas Tadeo Tom Thaddeus Tomos Marta Tommie Tomi Saphira Tommaso Barnabas
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Barnaby: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/barnaby, updated 20 October 2026.