Barbara
Girl · BAR-ba-ra · Greek
Barbara is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “foreign woman”. In 2025 it ranked 2,509th for girls in the UK (11 babies) and 968th for girls in the US (264 babies).
What does Barbara mean?
Greek: Greek, via Latin
“foreign woman”
St Barbara, an early Christian martyr, is the patron saint of miners and artillerymen.
- Say it
- BAR-ba-ra
More on Wiktionary.
Is Barbara a girl's or a boy's name?
Barbara is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 11 girls in the UK and 264 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Barbara in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,509among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 11about 1 in 25,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 57% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 11 girls in the UK were named Barbara, making it the 2,509th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,246th. Its busiest year was 2018, with 48 girls.
2025 had the fewest girls named Barbara since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Barbara in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,438th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#82), 1914 (#53), 1924 (#18), 1934 (#7), 1944 (#10), 1954 (#14) and 1964 (#69).
Barbara in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #2,509 |
| 2024 | 14 | #2,057 |
| 2023 | 22 | #1,497 |
| 2022 | 18 | #1,730 |
| 2021 | 23 | #1,448 |
| 2020 | 28 | #1,246 |
| 2019 | 34 | #1,085 |
| 2018 | 48 | #849 |
| 2017 | 29 | #1,248 |
| 2016 | 36 | #1,056 |
| 2015 | 27 | #1,317 |
| 2014 | 28 | #1,272 |
| 2013 | 27 | #1,324 |
| 2012 | 35 | #1,078 |
| 2011 | 38 | #997 |
| 2010 | 33 | #1,080 |
| 2009 | 28 | #1,179 |
| 2008 | 27 | #1,176 |
| 2007 | 24 | #1,243 |
| 2006 | 17 | #1,545 |
| 2005 | 15 | #1,608 |
| 2004 | 14 | #1,634 |
| 2003 | 16 | #1,420 |
| 2002 | 18 | #1,225 |
| 2001 | 12 | #1,637 |
| 2000 | 19 | #1,137 |
| 1999 | 21 | #1,065 |
| 1998 | 17 | #1,238 |
| 1997 | 22 | #1,022 |
| 1996 | 30 | #816 |
How popular is Barbara in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #968among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 264about 1 in 6,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 264 girls in the US were named Barbara, making it the 968th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 886th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 48,800 girls.
2025 had fewer girls named Barbara than any year since 1893.
Half of all the girls named Barbara in the US since 1880 were born between 1938 and 1955, the years shaded on the chart below.
Barbara in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264 | #968 |
| 2024 | 317 | #852 |
| 2023 | 308 | #871 |
| 2022 | 276 | #966 |
| 2021 | 299 | #904 |
| 2020 | 301 | #886 |
| 2019 | 287 | #922 |
| 2018 | 291 | #920 |
| 2017 | 303 | #890 |
| 2016 | 329 | #856 |
| 2015 | 329 | #849 |
| 2014 | 326 | #848 |
| 2013 | 321 | #831 |
| 2012 | 296 | #893 |
| 2011 | 369 | #745 |
| 2010 | 412 | #692 |
| 2009 | 465 | #639 |
| 2008 | 397 | #747 |
| 2007 | 482 | #618 |
| 2006 | 554 | #538 |
| 2005 | 412 | #674 |
| 2004 | 438 | #623 |
| 2003 | 437 | #613 |
| 2002 | 509 | #541 |
| 2001 | 502 | #533 |
| 2000 | 534 | #505 |
| 1999 | 563 | #468 |
| 1998 | 579 | #447 |
| 1997 | 700 | #378 |
| 1996 | 682 | #388 |
| 1995 | 758 | #347 |
| 1994 | 871 | #312 |
| 1993 | 951 | #291 |
| 1992 | 1,128 | #247 |
| 1991 | 1,239 | #229 |
| 1990 | 1,388 | #207 |
| 1989 | 1,493 | #186 |
| 1988 | 1,505 | #185 |
| 1987 | 1,632 | #172 |
| 1986 | 1,488 | #180 |
| 1985 | 1,677 | #169 |
| 1984 | 1,867 | #152 |
| 1983 | 2,020 | #143 |
| 1982 | 2,348 | #130 |
| 1981 | 2,531 | #119 |
| 1980 | 2,578 | #120 |
| 1979 | 2,493 | #123 |
| 1978 | 2,579 | #113 |
| 1977 | 2,845 | #101 |
| 1976 | 2,968 | #98 |
| 1975 | 3,454 | #83 |
| 1974 | 3,906 | #77 |
| 1973 | 4,433 | #63 |
| 1972 | 5,080 | #58 |
| 1971 | 6,453 | #47 |
| 1970 | 8,026 | #41 |
| 1969 | 8,811 | #39 |
| 1968 | 9,740 | #36 |
| 1967 | 11,203 | #33 |
| 1966 | 13,123 | #27 |
| 1965 | 14,023 | #25 |
| 1964 | 16,481 | #19 |
| 1963 | 18,295 | #17 |
| 1962 | 20,641 | #14 |
| 1961 | 23,002 | #12 |
| 1960 | 24,454 | #12 |
| 1959 | 25,359 | #11 |
| 1958 | 27,874 | #9 |
| 1957 | 29,692 | #9 |
| 1956 | 32,302 | #9 |
| 1955 | 33,617 | #7 |
| 1954 | 36,368 | #7 |
| 1953 | 38,473 | #6 |
| 1952 | 39,864 | #6 |
| 1951 | 40,617 | #5 |
| 1950 | 41,556 | #4 |
| 1949 | 42,600 | #4 |
| 1948 | 46,826 | #3 |
| 1947 | 48,800 | #4 |
| 1946 | 45,126 | #4 |
| 1945 | 38,273 | #3 |
| 1944 | 39,196 | #2 |
| 1943 | 43,432 | #2 |
| 1942 | 44,739 | #2 |
| 1941 | 39,543 | #2 |
| 1940 | 36,736 | #2 |
| 1939 | 37,257 | #2 |
| 1938 | 39,277 | #2 |
| 1937 | 34,917 | #2 |
| 1936 | 31,682 | #3 |
| 1935 | 30,698 | #3 |
| 1934 | 29,239 | #3 |
| 1933 | 26,949 | #3 |
| 1932 | 26,318 | #3 |
| 1931 | 21,804 | #4 |
| 1930 | 18,279 | #6 |
| 1929 | 16,038 | #7 |
| 1928 | 14,872 | #8 |
| 1927 | 13,161 | #10 |
| 1926 | 11,079 | #16 |
| 1925 | 9,155 | #22 |
| 1924 | 8,305 | #28 |
| 1923 | 7,209 | #33 |
| 1922 | 6,272 | #40 |
| 1921 | 6,013 | #40 |
| 1920 | 5,106 | #47 |
| 1919 | 4,084 | #60 |
| 1918 | 4,224 | #60 |
| 1917 | 3,535 | #67 |
| 1916 | 3,112 | #74 |
| 1915 | 2,704 | #83 |
| 1914 | 2,061 | #82 |
| 1913 | 1,451 | #94 |
| 1912 | 1,184 | #102 |
| 1911 | 737 | #119 |
| 1910 | 612 | #136 |
| 1909 | 567 | #126 |
| 1908 | 514 | #135 |
| 1907 | 515 | #129 |
| 1906 | 413 | #142 |
| 1905 | 366 | #154 |
| 1904 | 357 | #151 |
| 1903 | 346 | #151 |
| 1902 | 306 | #163 |
| 1901 | 277 | #164 |
| 1900 | 338 | #162 |
| 1899 | 273 | #165 |
| 1898 | 304 | #164 |
| 1897 | 299 | #153 |
| 1896 | 324 | #145 |
| 1895 | 298 | #150 |
| 1894 | 290 | #151 |
| 1893 | 255 | #155 |
| 1892 | 278 | #147 |
| 1891 | 221 | #152 |
| 1890 | 241 | #147 |
| 1889 | 246 | #140 |
| 1888 | 253 | #135 |
| 1887 | 204 | #132 |
| 1886 | 207 | #133 |
| 1885 | 195 | #129 |
| 1884 | 193 | #128 |
| 1883 | 135 | #142 |
| 1882 | 130 | #138 |
| 1881 | 130 | #123 |
| 1880 | 127 | #128 |
Nicknames for Barbara
- Barbie 33 girls in the US in 2025
- Babs
- Barb
Names like Barbara
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Dorothy Bonnie Nancy Beatrice Martha Diana Cora Evelyn Clara Eva Maria Nora
Names related to Barbara
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