boy's name
Barnes
BARNZ (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 212
Barnes is a rare boy's name from an English surname meaning "barns," from a place in Surrey now part of London. The surname also has a second reading through Middle English bairn, "child," and it's familiar as a surname from the Marvel character Bucky Barnes.
- Barnes is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2023, when 11 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 414,422 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1913.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Barnes Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 18 |
| 1920s | 39 |
| 1930s | 18 |
| 1940s | 21 |
| 1950s | 11 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 5 |
| 2010s | 45 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 38 |
What Barnes Means
Barnes usually means someone who lived or worked near barns. The second reading, from bairn, a child, makes it a kin term, and either way the name has a plain, solid English sound.
Where Barnes Comes From
Old English bere-ærn, a barley house, gave the word barn, and the settlement of Barnes on the Thames in Surrey took its name from this. House of Names adds that the surname can also spring from Middle English bairn, child, used perhaps for a younger member of a family. Wikipedia describes it as an English surname, once especially frequent in Dorset, Wiltshire and Cumberland. The name crossed to America with early settlers. As a first name it's very rare, and it follows other -es surnames such as Hayes and James in sound.
Barnes in Use
American birth records show it in small numbers since the 1910s. English-speaking readers may also know poet William Barnes, and New Yorkers know the bookseller Barnes & Noble.
How Popular Is Barnes?
In 2025, Barnes was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Barnes Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Barnes
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Barnes Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Barnes over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Barnes
- English BARNZ
Sibling Names for Barnes
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Barnes — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Barnes
What does the name Barnes mean?
Barns, from an English place name, or child, from Middle English bairn.
Is Barnes a first name?
Rarely. It's mainly a surname.
Where does the surname Barnes come from?
England, including the district of Barnes in southwest London.
How popular is the name Barnes?
In 2025, Barnes was given to 8 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Barnes a girl's or a boy's name?
Barnes is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Barnes?
Barnes has 1 syllable.
When was Barnes most popular?
Barnes peaked in 2023, when 11 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Barnes a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Barnes currently ranks #9,572 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.