boy's name
Barnaby
BAR-na-bee
- Origin Aramaic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 5,971
England and Wales
#185
2025 births
Barnaby is a boy's name of Aramaic origin meaning "son of consolation." It is the English form of Barnabas, the companion of Paul — and it is one of the most distinctively British names in our data.
- Barnaby is a name of Aramaic origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2014, when 285 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 1,930 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Barnaby over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 417 |
| 2000s | 1,408 |
| 2010s | 2,365 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,367 |
What Barnaby means
Barnaby means son of encouragement or consolation. The Acts of the Apostles translates it directly, which is unusual: the text tells us what the name means at the moment it is given.
Where Barnaby comes from
Barnaby anglicizes the Aramaic Bar-Nabba, which Acts glosses as son of consolation or encouragement — the name given to Joseph of Cyprus by the apostles. He traveled with Paul on the first missionary journey and later split with him over John Mark. The -by ending is an English reshaping that makes the name look like a Norse place name, which it is not. Barnaby Rudge, Dickens's 1841 novel, and the long-running Midsomer Murders have kept it distinctly English.
Barnaby in use
Our data shows Barnaby stable, peaking in 2014, at 185 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records only in 1996 — remarkably late for a biblical name, and it has almost no American presence, making it one of the most purely British names on this site.
How popular is Barnaby?
In 2025, Barnaby was given to 273 babies in England and Wales, ranking #185 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Barnaby is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Barnaby
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Barnaby also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Barnaby over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Barnaby
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Barnaby in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Barnaby
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Barnaby — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Barnaby
What does the name Barnaby mean?
Barnaby means "son of consolation," from the Aramaic Bar-Nabba.
Who was Barnabas?
Joseph of Cyprus, renamed by the apostles, who traveled with Paul on the first missionary journey.
Is Barnaby a British name?
Distinctly. It has almost no American presence and is among the most purely British names in our data.
How popular is the name Barnaby?
In 2025, Barnaby was given to 273 babies in England and Wales, ranking #185 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Barnaby a girl's or a boy's name?
Barnaby is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Barnaby?
Barnaby has 3 syllables.
When was Barnaby most popular?
Barnaby peaked in 2014, when 285 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Barnaby?
Barnaby is usually shortened to Barney.
Is Barnaby a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Barnaby currently ranks #185 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.