Barney is a distinctive boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #887 in 1998 with 17 recorded births. This places Barney in the top 23% of ranked UK boys' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Uncommon. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 195 births ranking #246. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 54.1%. In 1998, approximately 1 in every 18,263 boys born was named Barney. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Barney is an old-fashioned friendly short name usually linked with Barnaby or Bernard. Because of that, the meaning can depend on the fuller form a family has in mind.
Barney has long existed as a nickname and informal given name in English. Its recent appeal comes from the revival of cheerful vintage short names.