Definitions of barren:

• noun:   an uninhabited wilderness that is worthless for cultivation

  Example: "The barrens of central Africa"

• adjective:   incapable of sustaining life

  Example: "The dead and barren Moon"

• adjective:   not bearing offspring

  Example: "A barren woman"

• adjective:   providing no shelter or sustenance

  Example: "Barren lands"

• name:  A surname (rare: 1 in 100000 families; popularity rank in the U.S.: #17461)