The name reached its all-time peak in 1997 with 13 births ranking #4687. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
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.