Barbara

Latin
"foreign woman"

Barbara Origin and Meaning

The name Barbara is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "foreign woman".

Barbara is back! Among the fastest-rising names of 2023, Barbara came back from oblivion at the very bottom of the Top 1000, gaining nearly 100 places on the popularity list.

Credit 2023's breakout movie Barbie, which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara. Rooted in ancient Greek and ranking in the Top 10 in the US throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, Barbara is now poised to become fashionable again for the next generation of babies.

The name Barbara has the same root as the word barbarian, meaning stranger or foreigner. There is the popular third century St. Barbara, who was reputed to have been imprisoned in a tower and may have been the inspiration for Rapunzel. She became the patron of architects, stonemasons, fortifications, and geologists, and protects against fire and lightning.

Barbaras appear in works by Dickens and Thackeray and, most notably, as the idealistic protagonist of the George Bernard Shaw play Major Barbara. Noteworthy bearers include real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, actress Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby), novelist Barbara Pym, TV's Barbara Walters, and "My Name is Barbra" Streisand. Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl in the comic books.

And the of course there's Barbie, though today, Bebe, Bobbie, or even Babs might make a cuter retro nickname.

# 877 in the US

Barbara Rank in US Top 1000

# 510 on Nameberry

Barbara Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Barbara Popularity

Famous People Named Barbara

  • Saint Barbara
    3rd century martyr
  • Barbara of Portugal
    Queen consort of Ferdinand VI of Spain
  • Barbara of Austria
    Duchess consort of Alfonso II d'Este of Ferrara
  • Barbara Pierce Bush
    former U.S. First Lady
  • Barbara Pierce Bush Coyne
    daughter of former US President George W. Bush and twin of Jenna Bush Hager
  • Barbara Levy Boxer
    U.S. Senator from California
  • Barbara Ann Mikulski
    U.S. Senator from Maryland
  • Barbara Walters
    American broadcast journalist
  • Barbara Luddy
    American actress
  • Barbara Stanwyck (born Ruby Catherine Stevens)
    American actress
  • Eleanor "Barbara" McClintock
    American cytogeneticist and Nobel Prize winner
  • (Mary) Barbara (Hamilton) Cartland
    English novelist
  • Barbara Jean (Morehead) Eden
    American actress
  • Barbara Schett Eagle
    Austrian tennis player
  • Barbara Rittner
    German tennis player
  • Barbara Woolworth Hutton
    American heiress
  • Barbara Palvin
    Hungarian fashion model
  • Barbara Jo Walker
    Miss America 1947
  • Bárbara Micheline do Monte Barbosa
    Brazilian football player
  • Barbara Fialho
    Brazilian model
  • Barbara Ferreira
    American model
  • Barbara Moore
    American Model Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 1992,
  • Barbara Baldieri
    American actress

Barbara in Pop Culture

  • Barbara Millicent "Barbie" Roberts
    fashion doll made by Mattel
  • Barbara Gordon aka Oracle and Batgirl
    character in the "Batman" series
  • Barbara Eileen Kean Gordon
    mother of Barbara Gordon; wife of Commissioner Gordon
  • Barbara Fazlinovic
    character in Bosnian TV's "The Crazy, Confused & Normal"
  • Barbara Brownstein
    character on TV's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"
  • Barbara Wright
    companion on TV's "Doctor Who" 1963,65
  • Barbara Covett
    character from "Notes on a Scandal"
  • Barbara Barga
    character from "SS,GB"
  • Barbara Gilbert
    main character on TV's "Call the Midwife"
  • Barbara "Bebe" Stevens
    character in "South Park"
  • Barbara "Bobbi" Morse
    character in Marvel comics and "Agents of SHIELD"
  • Barbara "Barb" Holland
    character in Netflix's Stranger Things
  • Barbara Lake
    character in the Netflix series "Trollhunters"
  • "Barbara Ann
    " song by the Beach Boys
  • "Barbara Allen
    " folk ballad
  • "Please Don't Ask About Barbara
    " song by Bobby Vee