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HelpBarnabas and Barnaby?
I really like this name, especially with the nickname Barney but living in America I know all about Barney the dinosaur... whom I really don't like much. However, my fiance is from England and we've been contemplating moving there sometime within the next few years.
So I have a few questions -
1) Is Barney still on the air in America? And we end up having a son and name him Barnabus with the nickname Barney and STAY in America, do you think he'd be teased to the point where it would be a problem? And has anyone ever met an American with this name (neither of us have)?
2) How well known is Barney in England? And, for those of you who are British, does Barnabas (Barney) sound odd? Have you ever met an English-person with this name? Hugh knows two Barnabys and a Barnabas (who was one of Hugh's favorite teachers when he was little and happens to be the name of one of my favorite fictional characters), all of whom are English.
Thanks for the input!
(I just discovered the popularity section here and see that Barnabas is quite popular in Hungary... lol. Maybe we should move there? lol)
So I have a few questions -
1) Is Barney still on the air in America? And we end up having a son and name him Barnabus with the nickname Barney and STAY in America, do you think he'd be teased to the point where it would be a problem? And has anyone ever met an American with this name (neither of us have)?
2) How well known is Barney in England? And, for those of you who are British, does Barnabas (Barney) sound odd? Have you ever met an English-person with this name? Hugh knows two Barnabys and a Barnabas (who was one of Hugh's favorite teachers when he was little and happens to be the name of one of my favorite fictional characters), all of whom are English.
Thanks for the input!
(I just discovered the popularity section here and see that Barnabas is quite popular in Hungary... lol. Maybe we should move there? lol)
This message was edited 9/21/2006, 10:02 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I love both!
I live in Australia which has similar naming trends to England.
I know 4 Barney's. 2 Bernards (One is 35 and one is 1) and 2 Barnaby's (1 in 30's one in teens). One of the Bernards was my music teacher and I always used to tease him about the purple dinosaur, once we filled his class room with them! But it was an affectionate thing and he didn't mind it. The others never get the whole 'purple dinosaur thing' and no one really caught on with Barney from the simpsons. THe Barnaby's i know go only by Barnaby and I think Barnaby is so handsome. Barnabas is nice but slightly stuffy.
Go with it! Be different! Who knows maybe they will get rid of the dinosaur
Snape, Sexy and Dangerous!
I live in Australia which has similar naming trends to England.
I know 4 Barney's. 2 Bernards (One is 35 and one is 1) and 2 Barnaby's (1 in 30's one in teens). One of the Bernards was my music teacher and I always used to tease him about the purple dinosaur, once we filled his class room with them! But it was an affectionate thing and he didn't mind it. The others never get the whole 'purple dinosaur thing' and no one really caught on with Barney from the simpsons. THe Barnaby's i know go only by Barnaby and I think Barnaby is so handsome. Barnabas is nice but slightly stuffy.
Go with it! Be different! Who knows maybe they will get rid of the dinosaur
Snape, Sexy and Dangerous!
1
I don't know how well-known Barney-the-purple-dinosaur is in England, but he's still pretty darn well known here in the States. I'm not sure if they're still making the show, or if new episodes are coming on, but I know it still comes on PBS a few times a day. As for England, I remember Hugh Grant's character in "About A Boy" had friends with kids named Barney and Imogen, but I don't know how true-to-life that is. :b
I like Barnabas and Barnaby, and even the nn Barney, but wouldn't be likely to use any of them if I was staying in the U.S. Barnaby's my favorite, though, without a nn.
~Heather~
I like Barnabas and Barnaby, and even the nn Barney, but wouldn't be likely to use any of them if I was staying in the U.S. Barnaby's my favorite, though, without a nn.
~Heather~
1
1. Barney is still on the air, around here at least, and is still considered pretty culturally relevant. You might also want to take into account Barney the drunkard from The Simpsons--because that's a show that is definitely still culturally relevant and has been for well over a decade.
I've never met a Barney IRL. I think that it's a name that could work, but I don't find it especially appealing myself.
I can't help you with stuff across the pond. I can, however, tell you that I'd personally prefer to meet a Barnaby than a Barnabas. Barnabas always reminds me of Barabbas of the Bible--he was the man who was chosen over Jesus to be released from prison.
If you both like Barnabas, though, then hey--that works. I'd want to call him Nabby over Barney, myself. :)
Array
I need the smell of summer--
I need its noises in my ears.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.
I've never met a Barney IRL. I think that it's a name that could work, but I don't find it especially appealing myself.
I can't help you with stuff across the pond. I can, however, tell you that I'd personally prefer to meet a Barnaby than a Barnabas. Barnabas always reminds me of Barabbas of the Bible--he was the man who was chosen over Jesus to be released from prison.
If you both like Barnabas, though, then hey--that works. I'd want to call him Nabby over Barney, myself. :)
Array
I need the smell of summer--
I need its noises in my ears.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.
1
I have to agree with Array on most points.
I don't live in America or England, but in Germany Barney the dinosaur and Barney from the Simpsons are both well known. I'm not really a fan of Barnabas myself and like Array I prefer Barnaby, a name I really like as a matter of fact.
Barnabas just sounds so big for a child or even an average person. Barnaby, however, I can see on a child but also on an adult.
As a nn, what about Barn, Nab, Aby, Arn or Barney, if you want.
I don't live in America or England, but in Germany Barney the dinosaur and Barney from the Simpsons are both well known. I'm not really a fan of Barnabas myself and like Array I prefer Barnaby, a name I really like as a matter of fact.
Barnabas just sounds so big for a child or even an average person. Barnaby, however, I can see on a child but also on an adult.
As a nn, what about Barn, Nab, Aby, Arn or Barney, if you want.
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Yeah--oh, and Barney Rubble, while we're trying to think of pop-culture Barneys, but Barney Rubble was a good guy. Just a bit slow sometimes. :)
Well--"nab" is in the names. ;) I think Nabby or Nab would be cute. Or Barry / Barrie (though I'd rather it was pronunced BAHR-ee than BARE-ee in this case), too. Bandy, too, now that I think of it.
Array (likes trying to come up with silly-but-cute nns, lol)
I need the smell of summer--
I need its noises in my ears.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.
Well--"nab" is in the names. ;) I think Nabby or Nab would be cute. Or Barry / Barrie (though I'd rather it was pronunced BAHR-ee than BARE-ee in this case), too. Bandy, too, now that I think of it.
Array (likes trying to come up with silly-but-cute nns, lol)
I need the smell of summer--
I need its noises in my ears.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.
1