Barbara
From the Greek barbaros, used of foreigners whose speech sounded unintelligible. A legendary third-century martyr carried the name through the Middle Ages.
Barbara in 2025
Barbara was given to 264 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,848th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 12,558 babies born.
The history of Barbara
Barbara reached its highest point in 1947, when 48,889 babies were given the name, ranking 11th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 6th, in 1937.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 1,440,831 babies have been named Barbara. Half of them were born before 1947, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Barbara by decade
| Decade | Babies named Barbara | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,820 | 210 |
| 1890s | 2,783 | 209 |
| 1900s | 3,999 | 184 |
| 1910s | 23,736 | 104 |
| 1920s | 97,471 | 18 |
| 1930s | 297,608 | 6 |
| 1940s | 426,429 | 6 |
| 1950s | 346,415 | 12 |
| 1960s | 160,276 | 30 |
| 1970s | 42,399 | 86 |
| 1980s | 19,252 | 237 |
| 1990s | 8,885 | 431 |
| 2000s | 4,730 | 947 |
| 2010s | 3,263 | 1,284 |
| 2020s | 1,765 | 1,638 |
Where Barbara is heading
Barbara has fallen 20% over the past decade, from 329 babies in 2015 to 264 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Barbara is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Barbara
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Barbara.