Barney

Meanings

1. A male given name:
2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
3. A diminutive of the male given names Barnabas, Barnaby, Bernard, or Barnett.
4. A male given name from Old English.
5. A surname:
6. A surname transferred from the given name.
7. A surname from Old English.
8. A surname from Old English [in turn from placenames] from the place name Barney, Old English "barn/barley island".
9. A surname from Old English [in turn transferred from the given name].
10. A placename:
11. A village in Fulmodeston parish, North Norfolk district, Norfolk, England (OS grid ref TF9932).
12. A place in the United States:

1. A lark, a romp, some fun.
2. A hoax, a humbug, something that is not genuine, a rigged or unfair sporting contest.
3. A poor recitation.
4. A noisy argument.
5. A minor physical fight.
6. A student at Harvard University.
7. Synonym of blimp (“soundproof cover for a video camera”).

1. insane crazy, loony.

1. To recite badly; to fail.
2. To argue, to quarrel.

1. A police officer, usually one who is inferior or overzealous.

Etymology

From either the Old English personal name Bera (genitive singular Beran) or from Old English beren (“growing with barley”) + īeġ (“island”).