The first name Barbara
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “strange”, “foreign”.
Pronounced /ˈbɑɹb(ə)ɹə/ 3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Barbara means “strange”, “foreign” in Latin.
* From Latin Barbara, the name of Saint Barbara, feminine form of barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “strange, foreign”). Doublet of Varvara. * (logic): From the given name; chosen because it has three A's in it representing universal affirmatives.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 11 girls were named Barbara, making it the 2,440th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 42 births (#886).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Barbara with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Barbara at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 264 girls born in the United States were named Barbara, the 968th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 48,800 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Barbara in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Barbara in Danish, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Polish, Romanian and Slovene too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Barbara
326 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Barbara McClintockAmerican scientist and cytogeneticist, 1902–1992
- Barbara StanwyckAmerican actress (1907–1990)
- Barbara BushFirst Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993 (1925–2018)
- Saint BarbaraEarly Christian saint and martyr, from Nicomedia, 273–306
- Barbara WaltersAmerican broadcast journalist (1929–2022)
- Barbara CartlandEnglish writer and media personality (1901-2000)
- Barbara HersheyAmerican actress, born 1948
- Barbara W. TuchmanAmerican historian and author (1912–1989)
- Barbara LiskovAmerican computer scientist, born 1939
- Barbara Bel GeddesAmerican actress (1922–2005)
- Barbara KingsolverAmerican author, poet and essayist, born 1955
- Barbara BouchetGerman-American actress and entrepreneuse, born 1943
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Barbara mean?
- Barbara means “strange”, “foreign” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Barbara?
- * From Latin Barbara, the name of Saint Barbara, feminine form of barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “strange, foreign”). Doublet of Varvara. * (logic): From the given name; chosen because it has three A's in it representing universal affirmatives.
- How popular is the name Barbara?
- In 2025, 11 girls born in England and Wales were named Barbara, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 2018, with 42 births.
- What are nicknames for Barbara?
- Common nicknames for Barbara include Babs, Bar, Barb, Barbie, Barbs, Babby.
- Is Barbara a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,440,831 US babies named Barbara since 1880 were girls.
- When was Barbara most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 48,800 babies were named Barbara, its highest rank at 4th.
- How do you pronounce Barbara?
- Barbara is /ˈbɑɹb(ə)ɹə/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Barbara?
- Barbra.
- Is Barbara also a surname?
- Yes. Barbara is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.