Barney vs Cooper
Barney and Coopercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Barney was ranked #535 and Cooper #121 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barney was ranked #298 and Cooper #139 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Barney was ranked #655 and Cooper #153 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Barney was ranked #395 and Cooper #161 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Barney and Cooper over time
Barney and Cooper appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Cooper held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barney in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cooper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Barney in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Barney #246 in 2021, Cooper #134 in 2019.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Barney held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Cooper in 18.
Highest recorded here: Barney #246 in 2021, Cooper #134 in 2019.
The order changed in 2007: Cooper moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #494 and #677; by 2007 that had become #584 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barney #298, Cooper #139.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2012–2023
Barney held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cooper in 8.
Highest recorded here: Barney #374 in 2021, Cooper #126 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barney #395, Cooper #161.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Barney | Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (occupational surname) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkup.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #298 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cooper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Barney does not have one recorded yet.
- Barney and Cooper both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Cooper; Barney doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Barney
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #489 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #246 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #298 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Cooper
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys