Hello!
[name]Don[/name]'t know if it’s the hormones but I seem to be developing tastes in boys names outside my usual very classic style. So, I was just wanting some thoughts on the name [name]Barney[/name] for my son. Would be [name]Barney[/name] [name]Evelyn[/name] Ackers. ([name]Just[/name] to head off the comments: [name]Evelyn[/name] pronounced EHV-(eh)-lin named for my grandfather.). [name]Do[/name] you like it? [name]General[/name] impressions of the name?
Thanks, [name]Lillian[/name]
I have to say no. [name]Barney[/name] is a sweet nickname, but it’s still a) a large purple dinosaur, b) close to the words ‘barn’ and ‘barmy,’ and c) a difficult, quirky name when he will already receive a difficult, possibly tease-working middle name. [Please don’t misunderstand, I quite like the family name [name]Evelyn[/name], but I think it’s only wearable with a very masculine, classic first name].
If you feel your naming taste becoming more adventuresome after hanging out on nameberry, that’s quite normal!
Some other quirky names with a similar sound:
[name]Emory[/name]
[name]Barclay[/name]
[name]Calloway[/name]
[name]Clancy[/name]
[name]Finlay[/name]
[name]Frederick[/name] nn [name]Freddy[/name]
[name]Jeremy[/name]
[name]Malachy[/name]
[name]Murray[/name]
[name]Ramsay[/name]
[name]Remy[/name]
[name]Rigby[/name]
[name]Robley[/name]
Roxby
[name]Torrey[/name]
[name]Tobias[/name] nn [name]Toby[/name]
[name]Wallace[/name] nn [name]Wally[/name]
I definitely would not name a son [name]Barney[/name] [name]Evelyn[/name]. It would be a very difficult name to wear. I agree that [name]Evelyn[/name] needs a solid, masculine first name. While [name]Barney[/name] is masculine, it isn’t exactly a solid choice. [name]Barclay[/name] is a great suggestion.
I do not associate [name]Barney[/name] very strongly with the big purple dinosaur because I had an uncle [name]Barney[/name], so it is possible to overshadow that association. But still I think maybe [name]Barnaby[/name] or [name]Bernard[/name] nn “[name]Bernie[/name]” would be safer choices for a modern child.
I tend to associate it more with [name]Barney[/name] [name]Fife[/name] of [name]Andy[/name] [name]Griffith[/name] as how fame than a dopey purple dinosaur. I think it’s brave to use [name]Evelyn[/name], and I love how it’s a family name for you. However, I don’t think it goes well with [name]Barney[/name]. To balance out the more feminine (as its popularity in recent years has indicated) [name]Evelyn[/name], a more solid first name would be ideal.
What I thought when I first saw it: 1) the big purple dinosaur (who I greatly dislike) 2) [name]Barney[/name] Rubble (The Flinstones) 3) [name]Barney[/name] [name]Fife[/name] (valkyrie reminded me).
Based on those, I’d say no. Sorry. [name]Barnaby[/name] nn [name]Barney[/name] could work, though…
When I hear the name [name]Barney[/name], I immediately think of [name]Barney[/name] Stinson from [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother, which I [name]LOVE[/name]! As much as I love the show and his character, the name [name]Barney[/name] still sounds very bland to me.
I don’t care for [name]Barney[/name]. I like [name]Barns[/name] as a nickname if there is a full name you could use it for.
When I think [name]Barney[/name], I now think of the womanizing character in popular show [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother. And with the middle name [name]Evelyn[/name], it won’t work. (For the middle name, have you tried to consider a variation of the name, or, perhaps, saving it for another future child?
Because I can just picture him as a teenager with his girlfriend and her asking what his middle name is out of curiosity. And him being completely embaressed by saying “[name]Evelyn[/name]”, if he would tell her at all.)
I love you, you love me…
The [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother reference is unfortunate because for namenerd fans of the show, the [name]Ted[/name] character’s middle name is [name]Evelyn[/name]. So you’d look like a superfan to those with an attention to detail, in addition to your son’s elementary years perhaps being difficult for him. I second [name]Barclay[/name]. Or just [name]Barnes[/name].
Eh, I’m going to be different and say I like the name [name]Barney[/name]. I find it rather handsome and I don’t think of the dinosaur at all, and I’ve never seen [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother. I do think [name]Barney[/name]'s rather nicknamey though so [name]Barnabus[/name] or [name]Barnes[/name] might make a more solid first name. [name]Evelyn[/name] on a boy is bold, but it’s got meaning so I like it.
I actually really like [name]Barney[/name]. I don’t associate it with the dinosaur very strongly at all, to be honest, even though I watched the programme a lot as a child. There’s a TV presenter in the UK called [name]Barney[/name] Harwood who I grew up watching, so I suppose that’s a stronger reference for me. I do, however, prefer [name]Barnaby[/name] or [name]Barnabus[/name] as a full name, and I think both flow and sound better with [name]Evelyn[/name] (I actually love this on a boy, and am so glad someone is brave enough to use it. Brilliant!). If you really love just [name]Barney[/name], though, I don’t think [name]Barney[/name] [name]Evelyn[/name] is a bad name at all. [name]Barney[/name] is adorable, can work on an adult, and can always be abbreviated to [name]Barn[/name]/[name]Barnes[/name] if he chooses. I also think it is plenty solid and masculine enough to balance out [name]Evelyn[/name].
I’m a fan of [name]Barney[/name] too (and [name]Barnaby[/name] if you want something which is closer to [name]Evelyn[/name] in feeling; on the other hand, that could be a bit of a mouthful). It honestly took me a while to realise what dinosaur ppl were on about! And I love HIMYM but mainly I think of a uni friend of mine nicknamed [name]Barney[/name]. His real name was Guy. Which just shows - people will always have their own associations. Go with a name you love. Make the world a more interesting place 
It reminds me of [name]Barney[/name] from [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother. Strangely enough, [name]Evelyn[/name] is [name]Ted[/name]'s middle name on the show to.
Also, I appreciated someone’s suggestion of [name]Barnabas[/name]. Also, I like [name]Barnaby[/name].
OK really starting to think I should watch [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother…!
Interesting mixture of responses! Not really putting me off though which I guess is a good thing. I’m not a huge fan of [name]Barnabus[/name]/as they just sound a little pretentious to me. I do sort of like [name]Barnaby[/name] but not sure I want to use a name simply to get a nickname that I like?
Most definitely not. Too many odd-ball pop culture references and not enough common useage to balance them out.