Barnabas, whose birth name was Joseph, was one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem, who undertook missionary journeys with Paul the Apostle, His name is a bit Old World compared to the update Barnaby, but could gain some attention as boys' names ending in 's' are enjoying a comeback.

In the Christian bible, Barabbas was a murderer that Pontius Pilate freed while condemning Jesus to die. The name is ironic, given that Christian belief promotes Jesus as the son of the Father. The name is difficult for this reason, as well as the fact that in Spain it is used as slang for a bad person.