What do you think about Barnaby?

Boy Names
1

Our baby boy is due next month, and we can’t decide on a name. We keep coming back to these names but just aren’t sure about them:
[name]Barnaby[/name] (nn [name]Barnes[/name])
[name]Theodore[/name] (nn [name]Theo[/name]) – too pretentious?
[name]Caleb[/name]

I love [name]Barnaby[/name] as a first name with [name]Edward[/name] as the middle name but am worried that [name]Barnaby[/name] be too unusual or comical-sounding. My husband is British, and [name]Barnaby[/name] is more common there, so he doesn’t see a problem. Also, does it sound suitable for a man or just a little boy?

[name]Caleb[/name] is our “normal” backup, but it just doesn’t grab us like [name]Barnaby[/name] does.

We’re staying away from names that start or end in ‘S’ because of our last name, and also no Ms because of our first names.

Thoughts?

2

I love all of them! I adore [name]Barnaby[/name], one of my favourite boys name combination in the world is [name]August[/name] [name]Barnaby[/name].

3

I have really come around on [name]Barnaby[/name]. It has such a happy sound to it. My only hold up with it is nn [name]Barney[/name], but I think if you start early with [name]Barnes[/name], it will probably stick. And really, [name]Barney[/name] wouldn’t be so bad if not for the dinosaur - and we can only pray that he’s a distant memory by the time he’s of school age :slight_smile: I think people will be shocked to hear [name]Barnaby[/name] in the U.S., depending on where you live, but not necessarily poorly received. [name]Theodore[/name] is probably much safer in terms of other people’s reactions, and I don’t think most will find it pretentious. I do have a feeling that it is destined for popularity in the next few years, so I’d think about whether that matters to you or not.

I would not even consider [name]Caleb[/name] with these other two wonderful names in the running.

ETA: Please go with [name]Barnaby[/name] if you love it. You can always brush off weird looks with, “My husband is English!” wink, wink. That should take care of them :wink:

4

[name]Barnaby[/name] does sound British to me, but I like it. I would use [name]Theodore[/name] before [name]Caleb[/name]-- I don’t think it’s pretentious at all. If you use [name]Ted[/name], [name]Teddy[/name], or [name]Theo[/name] as a nn it’s very approachable.

5

I really like [name]Barnaby[/name], I would use the nn [name]Barney[/name] though. [name]Theodore[/name] is one of my favourite names, and I think it has tons of nickname possibilities. I would avoid [name]Caleb[/name] though, I think it is just way too common.

6

I have long wondered if [name]Barnaby[/name] could work as a name here in the U.S. It certainly has a lively and energetic appeal to it, which is why I love it too. [name]Barnaby[/name] [name]Edward[/name] is a nice blend of offbeat and classic and [name]Barnes[/name] is my first choice for a nickname too. There is of course the possibility of using [name]Barnabas[/name] which sounds a bit more upper crust and a little less frilly (for the lack of a better word), however I think [name]Barnaby[/name] stands fine on its own. As he grows up he could always go by [name]Barnes[/name] if he chooses. [name]Barney[/name] or Arny might be two possible nn’s, but I’m not a huge fan of either. I’ve never met a [name]Barnaby[/name] so I’m not one hundred percent sure how I feel about it on an adult vs. a kid. I tend to compare other more common -y sounding names and there are plenty that work on adult men so I wouldn’t worry too much.

[name]Theo[/name] is currently my favorite name so I am a bit biased. Although I don’t love [name]Theodore[/name] as much as [name]Theo[/name], I myself, would consider using it anyway because I tend to prefer a fuller sounding name with the option of having a nn. [name]Theodore[/name] sounds more distinguished than pretentious in my book. I look no further than our 26th president, [name]Theodore[/name] [name]Roosevelt[/name], as evidence.

I also really like [name]Caleb[/name] with the nn [name]Cale[/name]. I have a feeling it will become as commonplace as [name]Jacob[/name] soon enough, but I wouldn’t let that deter you from using it. I still think it’s a great name, and there’s plenty to be said for the common name.

7

I’d agree with freemebean that [name]Barnabas[/name] might be a bit more of a grounded option that preserves the appeal of [name]Barnaby[/name]. It also gets you the easy, cool nn of [name]Baz[/name]/[name]Bas[/name] if you so desire, so it gives him more options to suit his personality.

8

I love the name [name]Barnaby[/name]!

9

[name]Love[/name] [name]Barnaby[/name] as it is such a happy and friendly name, the only drawback is it always reminds me of the [name]Bear[/name] in the children’s TV show . [name]Lucky[/name] you are in the US so this is not likely to be an issue.

10

I think of the circus whenever I hear [name]Barnaby[/name]. It’s not a name I would ever give a child, or the nn [name]Barney[/name].

11

I love all three names on your list!

[name]Caleb[/name] is the one that has lasted on my list because it’s a known name but not overly popular and just has such a nice sound about it.

I love [name]Theodore[/name] but [name]Theo[/name] as a stand alone name is well within the top 100 (around #50ish) and therefore if I were to nickname a [name]Theodore[/name] ‘[name]Theo[/name]’ I would be worried people would just assume he’s [name]Theo[/name] not [name]Theodore[/name]. So at the moment [name]Theodore[/name] is a middle name on my list but I do really love it. I don’t think [name]Theodore[/name] is pretentious at all.

[name]Barnaby[/name] is just gorgeous! I love it and I think the nickname [name]Bear[/name] is adorable. [name]Barnes[/name] isn’t my style really but I can see why’d you’d use it ahead of [name]Barney[/name].

[name]Barnaby[/name] [name]Edward[/name] is adorable, as is [name]Caleb[/name] [name]Edward[/name]. I don’t like [name]Theodore[/name] [name]Edward[/name] together, I know they are seperate names but they both have the nickname [name]Teddy[/name] so I don’t like them together.

12

Ahhhh. This name makes me think of Hello [name]Dolly[/name]. It makes me want to sing the lyrics to “Put On Your [name]Sunday[/name] Clothes”. I love [name]Barnaby[/name].

13

I love [name]Barnaby[/name]! It’s cute, dignified, charming, old-fashioned, and new all at once. Perfect.

14

[name]Barnaby[/name] is great! You should go for it if you love it.

15

I don’t find [name]Theodore[/name] pretentious. [name]Barnaby[/name] is more pretentious sounding than [name]Theodore[/name] imo. I do like [name]Barnaby[/name] nn [name]Barnes[/name] but it definitely doesn’t have a down-to-earth or rustic vibe at least here in the US. I say use it anyway cause it is really handsome but if you’re trying to avoid fancy I think [name]Caleb[/name] is the least pretentious seeming of all, [name]Theodore[/name] is fine.

16

[name]Barnaby[/name] is a no-go on my list. [name]Barney[/name] will forever make me think of fat purple dinosaurs. And [name]Barnaby[/name] on its own makes me picture some old, bitter English man…It also sounds like you have a cold when you say it. [name]Do[/name] you know what I mean? And so then I think of snot, which just…blech. No, there is absolutely nothing I like about this name.

17

I wouldn’t use [name]Barnaby[/name] but, that’s cause there’s a night club near me name [name]Barnaby[/name].

18

Aww, it’s making me sad to see all these comments about [name]Caleb[/name]. :frowning: To me it’s the perfect name, I love everything about it, and I don’t think about “settling” for [name]Caleb[/name] at all. The Biblical character named [name]Caleb[/name] was a great man, and the connotation behind the meaning of [name]Caleb[/name], as I understand it, is “to love whole-heartedly [like a dog wholeheartedly loves]”. Which is such a wonderful image to me, even if I’m not much of an animal person. And [name]Cal[/name]/[name]Cale[/name] is such a cool nn. And it’s non-Biblical literary, as well, appearing in [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name]'s and [name]John[/name] Steinbeck’s works. :slight_smile: It has so much history, and I imagine just the most wonderful, golden-hearted little boy with the name.

That being said, I really love [name]Barnaby[/name], too. It has such a fun, bouncy sound, and I think [name]Barnes[/name] is pretty cool for a nn (although I would probably use [name]Ben[/name], which, admittedly, is a huge stretch). I love that it means “son of encouragement”, and the [name]Barnabas[/name] in the [name]New[/name] Testament was a wonderful man, too (both happen to be some of my favorite Biblical heroes out there). [name]Barnaby[/name] would be pretty obscure in the US; [name]Caleb[/name] wouldn’t be obscure, but it’s not popular by any means–I think I’ve only come across one [name]Caleb[/name] under the age of 10. And it hovers around the 30-40 spot, has for the past five or so years at least, and I don’t really see it climbing too much higher.

[name]Theodore[/name] is lovely, not pretentious at all, but I have to say I’m not crazy about [name]Theo[/name]. Mainly because I was a theology major (I’m guessing this is no shock, haha, after reading my whole post), and they called us the “theos”, so it doesn’t really feel like a name to me. I find [name]Teddy[/name] much more appealing.

No matter what you decide on, you will have one awesomely named little boy. :slight_smile: I guess all I’m trying to say is don’t feel like you have to choose the obscure choice ([name]Barnaby[/name]) just because [name]Caleb[/name] isn’t flashy enough. :slight_smile: I actually think [name]Barnaby[/name] [name]Caleb[/name] would be a really great combo, though.

Good luck!