Fun Facts About the Name Barnetta
- 52 babies named Barnetta: U.S. records list 52 babies given the name Barnetta from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Barnetta Mean?
Barnetta is a feminine given name formed from the English surname Barnett, which has two competing derivations. The more usual explanation treats Barnett as a diminutive of the personal name Bernard, from Germanic Bernhard, made up of bern ("bear") and hard ("bold, hardy"). The Old French form Bernart came to England with the Normans, and the diminutive suffix -et produced Barnett, meaning "little Bernard."
A second explanation derives Barnett from the place name Barnet in Hertfordshire, from Old English bærnet, "burnt place" - land cleared by burning. The feminine ending -a turns either form of the surname into a given name. Since both surname origins are documented, the meaning of a particular Barnetta depends on which one lies behind the family name it comes from.
Barnetta Name History & Origins
The personal name behind Barnett, Bernard, was brought to England by the Normans after 1066 in the Old French form Bernart. It stayed in use through the Middle Ages, helped by the reputation of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and the diminutive suffix -et was common in medieval English and French naming. Surnames spelled Barnett and Barnet are found in England from the medieval period.
The Hertfordshire town of Barnet, north of London, is also recorded in medieval sources, and the Battle of Barnet was fought there in 1471 during the Wars of the Roses. A person who moved away from the town could take a surname from it, so the same spelling can descend either from the personal name or from the place.
Barnetta appears as a rare feminine given name, formed by adding the feminine ending -a to Barnett - the same pattern seen in Henrietta from Henry and Georgina from George. Its use belongs to the wider English practice of turning surnames into given names.
How Popular is the Name Barnetta?
Barnetta has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1955. Its best rank was #3,797 in 1955.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | #8,088 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #6,165 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #3,797 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #5,724 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #5,352 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #4,269 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1933 | #4,274 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #4,788 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #5,090 | 5 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Barnetta Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Barnetta's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Barnetta's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.