Boy · #8,479 in 2026

Barnard

Name: Popularity of the name Barnard in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Barnard, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Barnard is a surname of Old English origin, derived from the Anglo-Saxon given name "Beornheard". It is composed of two elements: "Beorn," meaning "young warrior" or "bear," and "heard," meaning "hardy," "brave," or "strong." In some cases, Barnard is a version of the surname Bernard, which is a French and West Germanic masculine given name and surname.

Current Rank

#8,479

Peak Rank

#1,585 (1963)

Total Babies

895

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1891

First Year

1998

Last Year

1963

Peak Year

#1585

Peak Rank

895

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Barnard

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Barnard

Barnard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1891, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1963, when 25 Barnards were born — ranking #1,585 that year. As of 2026, Barnard ranks #8,479 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 895 Barnards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Barnard

Phonetically similar names — useful when Barnard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Bernard
Barnyard
Barner
Borner
Boerner
Barnet
Barnett
Bartered
Benard
Barnhart
Barnette
Bannered

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Barnard

What does the name Barnard mean?

How popular is Barnard in 2026?

In 2026, Barnard ranks #8,479 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Barnard most popular?

Barnard reached its peak popularity in 1963, ranking #1,585 that year with 25 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Barnard most popular?

Barnard has historically been most popular in Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Barnard.

Is Barnard a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Barnard is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Barnard?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Barnard include Medgar, Livan, Finnigan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Barnard

Barnard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1891 and has accumulated 895 births in the dataset. Barnard's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #1,585. Use the chart and map above to compare Barnard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.