Barbara is a popular Latin baby girl’s name that means “foreigner”. Barbara has been popular since 1900 and was in the top 10 baby names from 1928 to 1958. It has fallen in popularity in the last two decades.
Meaning and Origin of the Name Barbara:
Barbara is a baby girl’s name of Latin origin that means “foreigner”. Barbara comes from the name of the Berber tribe.
Symbolism of the Name Barbara:
The Berbers are an ethnic group from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, the Canary Islands.
Nicknames for the Name Barbara:
Barbara is often shortened to Barb, but did you know that there are a lot of other nickname options out there? Check out the full list of nicknames for Barbara:
Style of the Name Barbara:
Traditional
Gender of the Name Barbara:
Barbara is a girl's name.
Pronunciation of the Name Barbara:
BAHR-bə-rə, BAHR-brə (English), BAR-BA-RA (French), BAR-ba-ra (German), bar-BA-ra (Polish), BAWR-baw-raw (Hungarian)
Number of Syllables in the Name Barbara:
Two or three depending on pronunciation.
Emotion Evoked From the Name Barbara:
Barbara evokes feelings of honesty and sincerity.
Alternative Spellings for the Name Barbara:
Barbra, Barabra
Popularity of the Name Barbara:
According to the Social Security Administration, Barbara is a popular baby girl’s name. Barbara has been in the top 1,000 names since 1900. Barbara was in the top 10 names from 1928 to 1958. In 2022, the name ranked at 976.
Related Names for the Name Barbara:
Great Middle Names for the Name Barbara and Their Meanings:
- Ann (grace)
- Roxanne (dawn)
- Sophia (wisdom)
- Chloe (young green shoot)
- Audrey (noble strength)
- Cassandra (prophetess)
- Lexi (defending men)
- Emilie (work)
- Alice (noble)
- Gabrielle (God is my strength)
- Francesca (from France or free man)
- Isabella (pledged to God)
Famous People with the Name Barbara:
- Barbara Jean Eden (American actress)
- Barbara Schett Eagle (Austrian tennis player)
- Barbara Rittner (German tennis player)
- Barbara Ferreira (American model)
- Barbara Baldieri (American actress)
Barbara in Popular Culture:
- Barbara “Barbie” Roberts (media, Mattel fashion doll)
- Barbara Gordon aka Oracle and Batgirl (DC Batman franchise)
- Barbara “Barb” Holland (television, “Stranger Things”)
- Barbara Covett (television, “Notes on a Scandal”)
- Barbara Gilbert (television, “Call the Midwife”)
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Anna-Kharchenko/Shutterstock.com.