NameCensus.

UK surname

Barney

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "burnt island" or "place cleared by burning."

In the 1881 census there were 691 people recorded with the Barney surname, ranking it #5,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,157, ranked #5,103, up from #5,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Mendip and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barney is 1,171 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.4%.

1881 census count

691

Ranked #5,243

Modern count

1,157

2016, ranked #5,103

Peak year

2014

1,171 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barney had 691 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,157 in 2016, ranked #5,103.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 889 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barney surname distribution map

The map shows where the Barney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Barney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barney over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 528 #4,753
1861 historical 639 #4,192
1881 historical 691 #5,243
1891 historical 675 #5,778
1901 historical 775 #5,791
1911 historical 889 #5,009
1997 modern 1,082 #5,146
1998 modern 1,124 #5,158
1999 modern 1,134 #5,166
2000 modern 1,131 #5,156
2001 modern 1,102 #5,164
2002 modern 1,100 #5,276
2003 modern 1,106 #5,158
2004 modern 1,129 #5,076
2005 modern 1,108 #5,100
2006 modern 1,079 #5,217
2007 modern 1,092 #5,216
2008 modern 1,090 #5,259
2009 modern 1,098 #5,326
2010 modern 1,114 #5,375
2011 modern 1,114 #5,318
2012 modern 1,101 #5,286
2013 modern 1,132 #5,243
2014 modern 1,171 #5,127
2015 modern 1,156 #5,129
2016 modern 1,157 #5,103

Geography

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Where Barneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Mary Islington and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Mendip, South Holland and Eastleigh. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
2 Mendip 004 Mendip
3 Mendip 007 Mendip
4 South Holland 001 South Holland
5 Eastleigh 008 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barney

These lists show first names that appear often with the Barney surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Barney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Barney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Barney is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barney is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barney falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Barney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Barney

The surname Barney is of English origin, derived from the medieval personal name Barnaby, which was a variant of the Hebrew name Barnabas, meaning "son of consolation" or "son of encouragement." The name Barnaby was introduced to Britain by early Christian missionaries and became a popular name among the Anglo-Saxons.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Barney can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barneby." This suggests that the name had already been in use as a surname by the late 11th century. During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Barnaby, Barneby, and Barnabie.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Richard Barney was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, indicating that Richard Barney was a landholder or taxpayer during that time.

The name Barney was also associated with several place names in England, such as Barney in Norfolk, which was recorded as "Berneye" in the Domesday Book. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname Barney based on their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Barney was Sir John Barney, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1370. He was a prominent merchant and played a significant role in the city's affairs during his tenure.

Another notable figure with the surname Barney was Richard Barney (c. 1530-1593), an English Protestant reformer and writer. He was a staunch supporter of the Church of England and authored several works defending the Protestant faith against Catholic doctrines.

In the 17th century, Jacob Barney (1634-1690) was a prominent English Quaker and minister. He was a vocal advocate for religious freedom and traveled extensively to spread the Quaker message throughout England and the American colonies.

During the 18th century, Commodore Joshua Barney (1759-1818) was a renowned American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. He was known for his daring exploits and his role in defending the Chesapeake Bay region against British forces.

The surname Barney has also been associated with several literary figures, including English poet and author Nathaniel Barney (1828-1909), who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical themes, and American novelist and playwright Lewis Barney (1919-2009), known for his works exploring themes of identity and social issues.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 138 Barneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 138 2.02x
Norfolk 74 7.05x
Oxfordshire 70 16.60x
Surrey 58 1.74x
Kent 52 2.23x
Suffolk 32 3.85x
Hampshire 31 2.21x
Buckinghamshire 27 6.54x
Lancashire 26 0.32x
Berkshire 25 4.88x
Staffordshire 22 0.95x
Yorkshire 21 0.31x
Warwickshire 20 1.16x
Leicestershire 11 1.45x
Caithness 9 9.63x
Channel Islands 9 4.45x
Devon 9 0.63x
Lincolnshire 9 0.82x
Carmarthenshire 8 2.78x
Durham 7 0.34x
Essex 7 0.52x
Hertfordshire 5 1.06x
Dorset 4 0.89x
Northamptonshire 4 0.62x
Somerset 3 0.27x
Sussex 3 0.26x
Angus 2 0.32x
Midlothian 2 0.22x
Shropshire 2 0.34x
Worcestershire 2 0.22x
Bedfordshire 1 0.28x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.17x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.74x
West Lothian 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stokenchurch in Oxfordshire leads with 32 Barneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 848.81x.

Place Total Index
Stokenchurch 32 848.81x
St Pancras London 28 5.09x
Mile End Old Town London 16 11.01x
Aston 15 3.16x
Watlington 15 347.22x
Finchampstead 13 838.71x
Horsford 12 736.20x
Lambeth 12 2.02x
Battersea 11 4.38x
Holy Trinity 11 6.76x
Kensington London 11 2.90x
Shoreditch London 11 3.72x
Walsall Foreign 11 9.24x
Ashby De La Zouch 10 56.98x
Clerkenwell London 10 6.20x
Greenwich 10 9.20x
Camberwell 9 2.06x
Henley On Thames 9 104.17x
Holdenhurst 9 24.52x
Lynsted 9 298.01x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 9 170.78x
Turville 9 927.84x
Willesden 9 13.98x
Binfield 8 203.56x
Bury St Edmunds St James 8 36.02x
Llanelly 8 12.34x
Manchester 8 2.20x
Colby 7 1250.00x
Deptford St Paul 7 3.90x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 30.03x
Thornham 7 463.58x
Aldborough 6 731.71x
Bishopstoke 6 167.13x
Islington London 6 0.91x
St Lawrence 6 108.70x
Thame 6 78.23x
Toxteth Park 6 2.19x
Upton Cum Chalvey 6 36.47x
West Ham 6 2.02x
Aylsham 5 80.00x
Bermondsey 5 2.46x
Chelsea London 5 2.43x
Great Marlow 5 44.88x
Great Yarmouth 5 5.75x
Happisburgh 5 381.68x
Moulton 5 95.24x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 5 166.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 4.57x
Wednesfield 5 14.74x
Birmingham 4 0.70x
Clapham 4 4.69x
Dunnet 4 106.38x
Enfield 4 8.93x
Hackney London 4 1.04x
Hawstead 4 500.00x
Holt 4 111.42x
Kinson 4 45.66x
Lessingham 4 975.61x
Oxford St Ebbe 4 32.23x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 4 191.39x
Richmond 4 8.58x
Shenley 4 129.03x
South Hinksey 4 179.37x
St George Bloomsbury 4 10.21x
Tanfield 4 16.56x
Tottenham 4 3.68x
West Drayton 4 169.49x
Castleton 3 3.71x
Eton 3 32.05x
Ipswich St Margaret 3 10.63x
Leeds 3 0.79x
Maidstone 3 4.32x
Norwich St Clement 3 24.65x
Norwich St Stephen 3 31.12x
Peterborough 3 6.45x
Rattlesden 3 123.46x
South Hayling 3 120.48x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.18x
Wick 3 9.93x
Wolverhampton 3 1.69x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Barney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 49
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 19
Ann 14
Alice 11
Eliza 10
Jane 10
Emma 9
Ellen 8
Charlotte 7
Emily 7
Louisa 7
Margaret 7
Kate 6
Annie 5
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Harriet 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Anna 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Lydia 3
Priscilla 3
Adelaide 2
Amey 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Sophia 2
Annette 1
Eliabeth 1
Elizebeth 1
Harriett 1
Ida 1
Theodore 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Barney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 40
John 34
George 32
James 25
Henry 19
Charles 17
Thomas 14
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Walter 9
Frank 8
Frederick 8
Richard 8
Robert 8
Harry 7
Joseph 7
Albert 6
Edward 5
Edwin 5
Edmund 4
Stephen 4
Mark 3
Samuel 3
Benjamin 2
Cecil 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
G. 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Matthew 2
Philip 2
Thos. 2
Willm. 2
David 1
Dugfull 1
Eden 1
Edgar 1
Felix 1
Ferdinand 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Josiah 1
Kenny 1
Margaret 1
Michael 1
Noon 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Barney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 691 people were recorded with the Barney surname. That placed it at #5,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,157 in 2016. That gives Barney a modern rank of #5,103.

What does the Barney surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "burnt island" or "place cleared by burning."

What does the Barney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Barney bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.