Girl name · Greek
Barbara
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: foreign womanBarbara is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "foreign woman". It is used in English, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.
- Meaning
- Foreign woman
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #968 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Barbara
As a girl's name, Barbara comes from Greek and means "foreign woman". It is used in English, German, Italian and Polish.
As a girl's name, Barbara comes from Greek and means "foreign". It is used in Spanish. In Spanish it is spelled Bárbara.
In Spanish, say BAR-bah-rah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Barbara on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Barbara on 3 lists.
“Foreign; Greek. Say BAR-bah-rah”
From Mexican girl names, modern Mexican baby girl names
“A grand old name for a very particular cat”
From Outrageous pet names, human names for pets
“Foreign woman; Greek. Babs or Bobbie for short”
From Vintage girl names, 1930s to 1950s girl names
How popular is Barbara?
- US rank in 2025
- #968
- 264 babies, 164 per million girls
- Best rank
- #2 in 1937
- Most babies: 48,800 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 1,436,695
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,386 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,253 per million |
| 1900s | 1,366 per million |
| 1910s | 2,906 per million |
| 1920s | 8,133 per million |
| 1930s | 27,799 per million |
| 1940s | 29,360 per million |
| 1950s | 17,974 per million |
| 1960s | 8,747 per million |
| 1970s | 2,733 per million |
| 1980s | 1,114 per million |
| 1990s | 492 per million |
| 2000s | 256 per million |
| 2010s | 186 per million |
| 2020s | 181 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #856 | #890 | #921 | #922 | #886 | #904 | #967 | #871 | #853 | #968 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Barbara
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Barbcommon English nickname
- Babscommon English nickname
Other forms of Barbara
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BarabalForeign woman (Greek, girl)
- BärbelForeign woman (Greek, girl)
- VarvaraForeign woman (Greek, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- VaryaShort form of Varvara, foreign woman (Greek, girl)
- XenofonForeign voice (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Barbara
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
Barbara: common questions
What does the name Barbara mean?
Barbara comes from Greek and means "foreign woman". It also has another origin: "foreign" from Greek.
Is Barbara a boy or girl name?
Barbara is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Barbara?
Common nicknames for Barbara include Barb and Babs.
How popular is the name Barbara?
Barbara ranked #968 in the US in 2025, with 264 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Barbara?
Forms of Barbara with the same meaning and origin include Barabal (Scottish), Bärbel (German) and Varvara (Greek).
What middle names go with Barbara?
Middle names that flow well with Barbara include Agnes, Anne, Daisy, Esme and Gwen. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.