Barney is a cool baby name for boys that highlights strength, maturity, and a fun spirit. Barney is also a nice way to shorten up other traditional names into something shorter and more distinct. Keep reading to discover more about the name.
Meaning of the name Barney:
Slavic for “defender”.
Origin of the name Barney:
Barney is used by many people as a diminutive of other names such as “Barnard”, “Bernard”, “Barnaby”, and more. However, Barney does have its own roots as it has Slavic origins. The name Barney is derived from the Slavic name “Barni”, a name that is a shortened version of the Slavic “Barnim”.
Symbolism of the name Barney:
The baby name Barney may symbolize different things depending on the culture the name is used in as some associate it more with youth, while others hold it to high standards as a mature name. No matter, Barney can stand as a proud symbol of support and protection.
Style of the name Barney:
Traditional.
Gender of the name Barney:
Barney is a baby name used mainly for boys.
Pronunciation of the name Barney:
BAHR-nee
Number of syllables in the name Barney:
Two.
Emotion evoked from the name Barney:
Barney is an interesting baby name for boys as it balances the threshold of being both light-hearted and mature, bringing up blended feelings of freedom, joy, and strength.
Alternative spellings for the name Barney:
Barnie
Nicknames for the name Barney:
Barn
Arnie
Popularity of the name Barney:
According to information from the Social Security Index, the baby name Barney saw most of its popularity in the 1900 when it ranked #216. It has not ranked within the top 1000 though since the 1970s.
Related names for the name Barney:
Great middle names for Barney and their meanings:
- Oliver (olive tree)
- Adrian (man of Adria)
- Odin (god of frenzy; poetic fury)
- Theodore (gift of God)
- Vincent (conquering)
- Jacob (supplanter)
- Nigel (dark, black-haired)
- Liam (resolute protection)
Famous people with the name Barney:
- Barney Martin (American actor)
- Barney Kessel (American jazz guitarist)
- Barney Poole (American football player)
- Barney Sedran (American Hall-of-Fame basketball player)
- Barney Pelty (American baseball player)
- Barney(real name of American Hall-of-Fame boxer who went by “Battling Levinsky”)
- Barney Aaron (English-born American Hall-of-Fame bare-knuckle boxer)
- Young Aaron (English-born American bare-knuckle boxer and son of Barney Aaron)
- Barney Greenway (British extreme metal vocalist)
Barneys in movies/pop culture:
- BarneyDinosaur (the character of the children’s show Barney & Friends)
- Barney Gumble (a character from the TV show The Simpsons)
- Barney Ross (character from the film franchise The Expendables)
- Barney(a character from the TV show How I Met Your Mother)
- Barney Barton (a character from the Marvel Comics universe)
- Barney(the character from the video games Half-Life: Blue Shift and Half-Life 2)
- Barney Cousins (character from the movie The Vanishing)
- Barney Rubble (a character from The Flintstones)
- Barney(a character from the 1987 TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
- Barney Fife (character from The Andy Griffith Show)