Barnabas
Boy name · #3678 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Barnabas? In official American birth records, Barnabas has been tracked continuously since 1920, giving it 105 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 30 baby boys were named Barnabas, placing it at #3678 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #5746, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 boys born in 2025 was named Barnabas.
Babies named Barnabas per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 105-year story
Barnabas first appears in the Social Security records in 1920, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 30 babies and a rank of #3658. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Barnabas against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Barnabas in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Barnabas is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Barnabas will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Barnabas is most common
State-level data for Barnabas is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Barnabas
Statistically, parents drawn to Barnabas tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Pinchas, Abbas, Benzion, Theodoros, and Ananias.
PinchasAbbasBenzionTheodorosAnaniasPhinehasGeorgiosBentzion
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Barnabas | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #3658 |
| 2024 | 22 | #4571 |
| 2023 | 19 | #5075 |
| 2022 | 13 | #6479 |
| 2021 | 16 | #5562 |
| 2020 | 22 | #4426 |
| 2019 | 17 | #5340 |
| 2018 | 9 | #8154 |
| 2017 | 24 | #4224 |
| 2016 | 13 | #6349 |
| 2015 | 15 | #5746 |
| 2014 | 14 | #5997 |
| 2013 | 18 | #4981 |
| 2012 | 8 | #8864 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8079 |
| 2010 | 9 | #8139 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7692 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8324 |
| 2007 | 7 | #9788 |
| 2006 | 9 | #7998 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7831 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7055 |
| 2000 | 10 | #6316 |
| 1998 | 10 | #5840 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Barnabas?
In official American birth records, the name Barnabas first appeared in 1920 (over 105 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 105 years.
Is Barnabas a popular boy name?
Barnabas ranked #3678 among boys in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5746.
When was the name Barnabas most popular?
Barnabas peaked in 2025, when 30 American boys received the name (ranked #3658 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Barnabas?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American boys was named Barnabas. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.