Barnabas

Barnabas is an Aramaic name, rendered in Greek as Barnabas, traditionally interpreted as meaning son of consolation or son of encouragement, from the Aramaic elements bar meaning son and naba meaning prophet or consolation. The name is best known from the New Testament, where it was given as a byname to Joseph, a Cypriot Levite and companion of Paul who became an important early Christian missionary. Its longstanding association with this apostolic figure kept the name in occasional use throughout the medieval and early modern periods in Europe. Related forms include Barnaby in English, Barnabé in French, and the Hungarian and Czech-Slovak variants Barnabás and Barnabáš.