Barnabas
How to say it: BAR-nuh-bus · /ˈbɑːrnəbəs/
Aramaic 'son of consolation'; New Testament name - borne by St. Barnabas, companion of St. Paul.
Barnabas was the 2,883rd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 30 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 75% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #2,018 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #2,883 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 30 |
| Share of births | 1 in 110,511 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +75% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,018 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Barnabas is climbing: the 2020s are already its best decade.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Barnabas is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Dutch, English, German, Greek.
Famous people named Barnabas
- Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini (1942–2018)Prime Minister of Swaziland
- Barnabas Nawangwe (born 1956)Ugandan professor, architect, academic (* 1956)
- Barnabas Imenger Jr. (born 1991)Nigerian footballer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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