Total births
16,090
Boys' name · since 1880
Barney
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 16,090 babies named Barney, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9895
- among boys today
- 16,090
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
16,090 babies have been named Barney since 1880, making it today's #9895 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Barney has been recorded 16,090 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #9895 nationally and more common than 31% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #9895 among boys today
- 16,090 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 31% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Barney is currently the #9895 boys' name in America, more common than 31% of boys - 16,090 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #9895
- among boys today
- 16,090
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other boys
Barney vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9895
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 31% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Barney was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
304 babies were named Barney in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How Barney compares
16,090 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Barney's all-time total is 44x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Barney | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,090 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 304 | 23 | 22,252 |
Barney's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Barney's SSA record in two at 1947 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2001, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1919 peak of 304, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Barney at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#9,895
Active since
1880
Barney popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 304
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Barney popularity over time - girls
91 total births recorded since 1916 (Barney as girls' name)
Barney by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Barney's strongest decade.
2,672 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Barney births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 535
1880s
535 births
- 1890s 572
1890s
572 births
- 1900s 595
1900s
595 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,197 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,400 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,911 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,168 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,672 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,598 births
- 1970s 755
1970s
755 births
- 1980s 430
1980s
430 births
- 1990s 173
1990s
173 births
- 2000s 30
2000s
30 births
- 2010s 37
2010s
37 births
- 2020s 17
2020s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,672 births (17% of all-time use).
How Barney compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Barney's total volume
Barney vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Barney by state
Where Barney concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,489 | 9.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 914 | 5.7% |
| #3 | California | | 909 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 851 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 636 | 4.0% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 557 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 512 | 3.2% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 499 | 3.1% |
Texas share of Barney's total US births 9.3%
Even split
1,489 of 16,090 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Barney appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Barney? ▼
Barney has been given to 16,090 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #9895 as of the latest data. 304 babies were born in 1919, its single highest year.
When was Barney most popular? ▼
Barney was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,672 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Barney most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Barney are Texas (1,489 births), New York (914 births), California (909 births).
How long has the name Barney been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Barney since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Barney? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Barry, Barrett, Bart, Barton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Barney's data
- Barney's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,672 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Barneys (1,489 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Barney
Nearby Names Like Barney
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Barney
Barry Boy
#1413 181,270 births
Barrett Boy
#187 33,425 births
Bart Boy
16,356 births
Barton Boy
#12365 9,371 births
Baron Boy
#1511 7,059 births
Compare Barney side by side: Barney vs Barry Barney vs Barrett Barney vs Bart
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Barney
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Barney: #9895 Boys' Name - 16,090 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/barney. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Barney draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.