Barney
Boy · BAR-nee · Aramaic
Barney is a boys' name of Aramaic origin, meaning “son of encouragement”. In 2025 it ranked 277th for boys in the UK (185 babies) and 12,003rd for boys in the US (5 babies).
What does Barney mean?
Aramaic: pet form of Barnaby or Barnabas; also of Bernard
“son of encouragement”
- Say it
- BAR-nee
More on Wiktionary.
Is Barney a girl's or a boy's name?
Barney is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 185 boys in the UK and 5 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Barney in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #277among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 185about 1 in 1,600 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 31% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 185 boys in the UK were named Barney, making it the 277th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 309th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 202 boys.
Half of all the boys named Barney in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 257th in England and Wales, 762nd in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.
Barney in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #277 |
| 2024 | 154 | #323 |
| 2023 | 160 | #314 |
| 2022 | 170 | #298 |
| 2021 | 202 | #270 |
| 2020 | 166 | #309 |
| 2019 | 135 | #373 |
| 2018 | 81 | #534 |
| 2017 | 87 | #514 |
| 2016 | 93 | #484 |
| 2015 | 103 | #444 |
| 2014 | 98 | #465 |
| 2013 | 110 | #425 |
| 2012 | 113 | #409 |
| 2011 | 63 | #606 |
| 2010 | 64 | #596 |
| 2009 | 65 | #572 |
| 2008 | 72 | #535 |
| 2007 | 52 | #634 |
| 2006 | 62 | #535 |
| 2005 | 61 | #511 |
| 2004 | 55 | #525 |
| 2003 | 46 | #565 |
| 2002 | 49 | #499 |
| 2001 | 29 | #691 |
| 2000 | 28 | #713 |
| 1999 | 25 | #736 |
| 1998 | 18 | #906 |
| 1997 | 35 | #566 |
| 1996 | 37 | #520 |
How popular is Barney in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #12,003among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 340,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the US were named Barney, making it the 12,003rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 12,016th. Its busiest year was 1919, with 304 boys.
Half of all the boys named Barney in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1956, the years shaded on the chart below.
Barney in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #12,003 |
| 2024 | 7 | #9,888 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 5 | #12,138 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 7 | #9,659 |
| 2015 | 6 | #10,638 |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 8 | #8,784 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 6 | #10,759 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 6 | #10,915 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10,655 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 6 | #9,941 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 7 | #8,449 |
| 2001 | 5 | #10,548 |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 7 | #7,867 |
| 1998 | 12 | #5,153 |
| 1997 | 13 | #4,663 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 12 | #4,785 |
| 1994 | 17 | #3,745 |
| 1993 | 21 | #3,135 |
| 1992 | 25 | #2,741 |
| 1991 | 28 | #2,463 |
| 1990 | 30 | #2,303 |
| 1989 | 23 | #2,684 |
| 1988 | 45 | #1,587 |
| 1987 | 33 | #1,892 |
| 1986 | 38 | #1,661 |
| 1985 | 41 | #1,568 |
| 1984 | 43 | #1,457 |
| 1983 | 47 | #1,360 |
| 1982 | 49 | #1,341 |
| 1981 | 53 | #1,259 |
| 1980 | 58 | #1,204 |
| 1979 | 60 | #1,169 |
| 1978 | 62 | #1,109 |
| 1977 | 68 | #1,047 |
| 1976 | 77 | #946 |
| 1975 | 62 | #1,053 |
| 1974 | 77 | #923 |
| 1973 | 74 | #936 |
| 1972 | 90 | #846 |
| 1971 | 100 | #803 |
| 1970 | 85 | #875 |
| 1969 | 97 | #782 |
| 1968 | 96 | #756 |
| 1967 | 98 | #742 |
| 1966 | 121 | #672 |
| 1965 | 133 | #646 |
| 1964 | 185 | #581 |
| 1963 | 167 | #607 |
| 1962 | 211 | #548 |
| 1961 | 223 | #530 |
| 1960 | 267 | #485 |
| 1959 | 241 | #507 |
| 1958 | 262 | #481 |
| 1957 | 271 | #469 |
| 1956 | 260 | #467 |
| 1955 | 275 | #447 |
| 1954 | 259 | #448 |
| 1953 | 297 | #401 |
| 1952 | 283 | #408 |
| 1951 | 260 | #419 |
| 1950 | 264 | #414 |
| 1949 | 219 | #449 |
| 1948 | 255 | #419 |
| 1947 | 267 | #418 |
| 1946 | 225 | #423 |
| 1945 | 211 | #413 |
| 1944 | 220 | #404 |
| 1943 | 220 | #418 |
| 1942 | 179 | #464 |
| 1941 | 178 | #435 |
| 1940 | 194 | #415 |
| 1939 | 188 | #417 |
| 1938 | 183 | #420 |
| 1937 | 209 | #383 |
| 1936 | 206 | #383 |
| 1935 | 184 | #402 |
| 1934 | 200 | #386 |
| 1933 | 180 | #400 |
| 1932 | 164 | #440 |
| 1931 | 181 | #418 |
| 1930 | 216 | #389 |
| 1929 | 205 | #406 |
| 1928 | 208 | #415 |
| 1927 | 193 | #438 |
| 1926 | 214 | #409 |
| 1925 | 230 | #396 |
| 1924 | 275 | #359 |
| 1923 | 260 | #367 |
| 1922 | 263 | #370 |
| 1921 | 289 | #351 |
| 1920 | 263 | #369 |
| 1919 | 304 | #319 |
| 1918 | 299 | #331 |
| 1917 | 298 | #307 |
| 1916 | 265 | #324 |
| 1915 | 276 | #306 |
| 1914 | 241 | #288 |
| 1913 | 185 | #291 |
| 1912 | 159 | #283 |
| 1911 | 99 | #261 |
| 1910 | 71 | #291 |
| 1909 | 62 | #285 |
| 1908 | 58 | #285 |
| 1907 | 64 | #263 |
| 1906 | 71 | #232 |
| 1905 | 70 | #234 |
| 1904 | 53 | #260 |
| 1903 | 50 | #257 |
| 1902 | 50 | #261 |
| 1901 | 34 | #302 |
| 1900 | 83 | #216 |
| 1899 | 50 | #234 |
| 1898 | 73 | #204 |
| 1897 | 58 | #222 |
| 1896 | 58 | #237 |
| 1895 | 55 | #237 |
| 1894 | 52 | #239 |
| 1893 | 63 | #215 |
| 1892 | 70 | #208 |
| 1891 | 49 | #229 |
| 1890 | 44 | #256 |
| 1889 | 54 | #222 |
| 1888 | 69 | #212 |
| 1887 | 58 | #201 |
| 1886 | 65 | #205 |
| 1885 | 43 | #251 |
| 1884 | 62 | #209 |
| 1883 | 48 | #225 |
| 1882 | 52 | #228 |
| 1881 | 40 | #244 |
| 1880 | 44 | #249 |
Names like Barney
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Sidney Stanley Wilfred Chester Frederick Otis Arthur Ollie Ralph Alfred Albert Harvey
Other spellings of Barney
Barnie
Names related to Barney
More Aramaic names
Thomas Tommy Martha Barnaby Tabitha Tomas Tadeo Tom Thaddeus Tomos Marta Tommie Tomi Saphira Tommaso Barnabas