Colloquially, Barbadians refer to their home island as "Bim" or other nicknames associated with Barbados, including "Bimshire". The origin is uncertain, but several theories exist. The National Cultural Foundation of Barbados says that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves, and that it derives from the Igbo term from meaning "my home, kindred, kind"; the Igbo phoneme in the Igbo orthography is very close to . The name could have arisen due to the relatively large percentage of Igbo slaves from modern-day southeastern Nigeria arriving in Barbados in the 18th century. The words "Bim" and "Bimshire" are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of 25 April 1868, where the Rev. N. Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested that Bimshire was "introduced by an old planter listing it as a county of England". Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Bimshire". Lastly, in the Daily Argosy (of Demerara, i.e. Guyana) of 1652, there is a reference to Bim as a possible corruption of "Byam", the name of a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as "Bims" and that this became a word for all Barbadians.
cOLloqUiAlly bArbaDIans refer tO tHeir HomE iSland as "biM" Or other Nicknames asSOciated WitH Barbados inclUdinG "bimShIre" THe OrigiN is UnceRTain But SevErAl THeorIes exiSt The NatIonAl cuLturAl foundatioN of barbADoS saYs thaT "biM" Was a word commonly usED by sLaves and thAt it dERives fROm the igbo TeRm frOm meANIng "my hoMe KINdRed kiND"; the igbO phonEme in The iGbO ortHogrAphy Is veRy clOSe tO  the Name could have arIsEn due To The reLaTively lArGe PercEntage of IgbO SLaves From moderN-daY sOutheastERn nigeria arrivIng iN barBadoS in the 18th centUry The worDs "Bim" And "bimshIRe" ARe recorded IN thE oXfOrD eNglish DiCtIOnarY anD chaMbERs tWeNTieTH century DictIonaRieS aNother POssibLE soURce For "Bim" iS REported TO be in tHe AgRIcultURal reporter of 25 APrIl 1868 where tHe reV n grEEnidge (FATheR Of onE of the isLAnd's MoSt FamOus SCHolarS AbEl hENdy JOnes grEEnidge) SugGesteD tHAt bimSHire wAs "iNtRoducEd by an oLd PlantEr LiSTing it as A couNty OF EnGland" exPRessly named were "wILtSHIRe hampSHiRe bERkSHIre AND bimShIRE" LaStlY in The daIly argosy (of deMERaRA ie guyANA) oF 1652 There is A reFerence to bim as a possible corRuptIon of "bYam" the Name of a roYalisT LeadeR agAinST the PARLiamEntarianS that sOUrce suggested the folLOwERs of bYAM BEcame KNOwn AS "biMs" anD That this BECame a woRd for all BArbADians