The first name Barnaby
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “prophet’s son”, “young warrior”, “rule”.
3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Barnaby means “prophet’s son”, “young warrior”, “rule” in Hebrew.
* English surname of Aramaic origin, from בַּר נְבִיָּא (bar nəḇiyyā, literally “prophet’s son”). * Also as an English surname, from Old English Beornwald, from beorn (“young warrior”) + wealdan (“rule”) + Old Norse býr (“farmstead”).
More names that mean warrior.
A form of Barnabas.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 273 boys were named Barnaby, making it the 185th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2014, with 285 births (#199).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Barnaby with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Barnaby at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 5 boys born in the United States were named Barnaby, the 12,273rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1974, when 19 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Barnaby
2 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Barnaby JoyceAustralian politician, 17th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, born 1967
- Barnaby MetschuratGerman actor, born 1974
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Barnaby mean?
- Barnaby means “prophet’s son”, “young warrior”, “rule” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Barnaby?
- * English surname of Aramaic origin, from בַּר נְבִיָּא (bar nəḇiyyā, literally “prophet’s son”). * Also as an English surname, from Old English Beornwald, from beorn (“young warrior”) + wealdan (“rule”) + Old Norse býr (“farmstead”).
- How popular is the name Barnaby?
- In 2025, 273 boys born in England and Wales were named Barnaby, ranking 185th. Its peak was 2014, with 285 births.
- Is Barnaby a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 380 US babies named Barnaby since 1880 were boys.
- When was Barnaby most popular?
- 1974 in the United States, when 19 babies were named Barnaby, its highest rank at 2,204th.
- What name is Barnaby a form of?
- Barnaby is a form of Barnabas.
- Is Barnaby also a surname?
- Yes. Barnaby is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.