My aunt started calling my baby boy (due in [name_f]April[/name_f]) [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] as a joke/silly nickname. Somehow it stuck and my entire family (including myself) call this kid [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] or [name_m]Barney[/name_m].
We aren’t planning to call him [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] when he’s born, but I keep having this thought that I’ll have him and keep calling him [name_m]Barney[/name_m]. (We haven’t decided on a name at this point.)
Has that actually happened to anyone here? That they just kept that the name because they couldn’t think of anything else or were so used to calling their baby that.
What do you think of the name [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] nn [name_m]Barney[/name_m]?
My husband has been trying to read “[name_m]Ulysses[/name_m]” since our daughter was born, with little progress, so we’ve joked about naming upcoming baby boy [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m]… and then started seriously considering it. We’ve backed away from that, but I think it would still be on our list if our whole family had been in on it. If you’d asked about [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] without the context, I think my reaction would be wondering whether it’s really fair to saddle a kid with that much name. But I also think any established name works once you put it on an actual child, and it seems like that’s what you’re finding here.
I’ve known many couples who name their child something fun or silly while in the womb then ditch it for the child’s real name once born. [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] (even [name_m]Barney[/name_m]) is a tough name to live with. It has a strong biblical connection, which may appeal to you or not depending on how religious you are.
I think uncommon names are absolutely lovely, however [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] will be quite the outlier in a classroom full of Masons, Noahs, Jacobs and Liams. [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] simply lacks any sort of charm and is full of harsh sounds when said aloud. As for [name_m]Barney[/name_m], the connection to the big purple dinosaur is still very real; even though the show has been off TV for a long time. Kids your son’s age may not know the reference (there’s a chance they will) but their parents will likely think of it. That or [name_m]How[/name_m] I Met Your Mother’s [name_m]Barney[/name_m] Stinson. You could always use the name in the middle spot or a variation of [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m]. [name_m]Barnaby[/name_m] is a bit less harsh sounding, for example!
In summary, unless you really, truly and wholeheartedly love [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] or [name_m]Barney[/name_m] without the story that accompanies the names, then I would find something you do love. The story is fun and adorable, but is easily something you can still tell your son even if he is named something else. Good luck!
