Etymology

barney

Bar·ney
B3A1R1N1E1Y4

Today it means: A television character popular among children, especially one who is a vividly colored animal mascot. Full definition →

First used c. 1810Old English beren
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barney · noun, adjective, verb1

Etymology unknown. Often incorrectly thought to be Cockney rhyming slang from Barney Rubble (“trouble”, from the character Barney Rubble on The Flintstones), it actually dates back to the 19th century and its origin is unknown.

barney · noun2

From the character Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

Barney · proper noun3

  1. Old English · inherited fromberen“growing with barley”
  2. English todayBarney

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

Barney · noun4

From the character Barney of the television show Barney and Friends.

First known use, by meaning

  • c. 1810 A poor recitation.
  • c. 1810 To recite badly; to fail.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.