Barnaby as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Barnaby

What is the meaning of the name Barnaby ?

The baby name Barnaby is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈbɑːrnəbi/ (BAR-nə-bee).

Barnaby is Aramaic in Origin.

Barnaby is the medieval English vernacular form of Barnabas, ultimately from Greek Barnabas (Βαρναβᾶς), itself rendering an Aramaic name built on bar “son of” plus a root meaning encouragement or prophecy. In the New Testament, Barnabas is the Cypriot companion of St. Paul; Acts glosses his name as “son of encouragement/comfort,” giving Barnaby warm, uplifting associations of reassurance and support.

Used in England from the Middle Ages, Barnaby became entwined with the June 11 feast of St. Barnabas - “Barnaby Day” - and survives in the proverb “Barnaby bright.” The name saw periodic revivals, notably in the 17th century and through literary attention such as Dickens’s Barnaby Rudge (1841), giving it a genial, old-world charm. Variants include Barnabas (English, Biblical), Barnabé (French), Barnabás (Hungarian), Barnaba (Italian/Polish), and Bernabé (Spanish). Common diminutives are Barney and Barn.