Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Barnabas

Meaning prophet Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,669 Trend ↑ Rising 56%

From Ancient Greek Βαρναβᾶς (Barnabâs), from Aramaic בַרְנֶבֻאָה (barneḇú’â, literally “prophet's son”), from בּר (bar, “son of”) and נְבִיָּא (nəḇiyyā, “prophet”).

Rank 2025
#3,669
among boys · ↑915 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
30
named Barnabas · +36% vs 2024
How common
1 in 56,936
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
30 babies
All-time total
605
#7,037 all-time among boys
First recorded
1920
in Social Security records

Barnabas popularity over time

605 babies have been named Barnabas since 1920, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2025Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s 5 1 – #4,346
1930s 5 1 0% #3,580
1940s – – – –
1950s 20 2 – #3,725
1960s 34 3 +70% #2,882
1970s 57 6 +68% #3,473
1980s 74 7 +30% #4,156
1990s 80 8 +8% #4,786
2000s 72 7 -10% #6,368
2010s 136 14 +89% #4,235
2020s (to 2025) 122 20 +50% #3,669

Where Barnabas is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 39 0.02 outside top 500
2029 41 0.02 outside top 500
2030 43 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Barnabas

Barnabas is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,669 in 2025 with 30 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1920, 605 American babies have been named Barnabas. Its peak came in 2025, when 30 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Barnabas stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Barnabas?

The median living Barnabas is about 19 years old; half are between 7 and 38. An estimated 600 people named Barnabas are alive in the United States today.

median 19 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Barnabas year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 30 #3,669
2024 22 #4,584
2023 19 #5,094
2022 13 #6,527
2021 16 #5,590
2020 22 #4,439
2019 17 #5,373
2018 9 #8,241
2017 24 #4,235
2016 13 #6,402
2015 15 #5,771
2014 14 #6,026
2013 18 #5,000
2012 8 #8,959
2011 9 #8,152
2010 9 #8,215
2009 10 #7,748
2008 9 #8,386
2007 7 #9,880
2006 9 #8,063
2005 10 #7,170
2004 – –
2003 8 #7,923
2002 9 #7,101
2001 – –
2000 10 #6,368
1995 7 #7,055
1990 10 #5,025
1985 7 #5,194
1980 9 #4,171
1975 – –
1970 7 #3,875
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 5 #3,725
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 5 #4,346
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Barnabas

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Barnabas Barnabas Early Christian disciple and bishop 1–61 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini Swazi politician (1942–2018) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Barnabas, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Barnabas?

The median living Barnabas is about 19 years old. Half of all living Barnabass are between 7 and 38 years old.

How many people named Barnabas are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Barnabas are alive in the United States, based on 605 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Barnabas mean?

From Ancient Greek Βαρναβᾶς (Barnabâs), from Aramaic בַרְנֶבֻאָה (barneḇú’â, literally “prophet's son”), from בּר (bar, “son of”) and נְבִיָּא (nəḇiyyā, “prophet”).

How popular is the name Barnabas in 2025?

Barnabas ranked #3,669 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 30 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Barnabas?

605 babies have been named Barnabas in the United States since 1920, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Barnabas most popular?

Barnabas peaked in 2025, when 30 newborns received the name.

Is Barnabas a boy or girl name?

Barnabas is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Barnabas rising or falling?

Barnabas is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Barnabas become more popular?

Barnabas is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 43 boys named Barnabas in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Barnabas?

Well-known people named Barnabas include Barnabas (religious figure), Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini (politician).

Names like Barnabas

Names that sound and feel close to Barnabas: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Barnabas with similar names → More names starting with B →