Barbara and Barbra are given names. They are the feminine form of the Greek word barbaros () meaning "stranger" or "foreign". In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition, Saint Barbara () was imprisoned in a tower by her father. She was then martyred by her father when she refused to renounce Christianity. According to legend, her father was then punished with death by lightning. As such, Saint Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning. Early Christians occasionally referred to themselves as "barbarians" in opposition to the pagan Romans and Greeks. The story of Saint Barbara is said to have been an inspiration for the fairy tale Rapunzel and other European stories that feature a maiden in a tower.
Today, the name Barbara or its variants are commonly given to female babies born in such countries as Chile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Russia, among others. Barbie, a traditional English hypocorism for the name and the brand name of a popular fashion doll, is well-used as an independent name for girls and women in the American Amish community. There was also increased interest in the name Barbie following the release of the 2023 film Barbie. Barbara was among the most popular names for girls in English-speaking countries in the first half of the 20th century but has since decreased in usage in countries such as the United States. There were 271 American girls named Barbara and 27 American girls named Barbie in 2022. The name increased in usage in 2023 in the United States, with 305 newborn girls given the name that year, an increase of 87 from 2022. The name ranked 877th on the popularity chart in 2023. Another 32 American girls were named Barbie in 2023.
In Italy, Barbara was particularly popular during the 1970s: it was among the top 10 names given to girls born from 1969 to 1977, rising to 2nd place (behind Maria) in 1971.Cfr. Alda Rossebastiano-Elena Papa, I nomi di persona in Italia: dizionario storico ed etimologico, Torino, UTET, 2005 . In the same year, it was the most common name for girls born in Rome and in Bologna.Cfr. Enzo Caffarelli, L'onomastica personale nella città di Roma dalla fine del secolo XIX ad oggi. Per una nuova prospettivi di sociografia e cronografia antroponimica, Tubinga, Niemeyer, 1996 (in Italian).
Variants
Babag (Scottish Gaelic) Babaidh (Scottish Gaelic) Babara (Hawaiian) Babbie (English) Babs (English) Baiba (Latvian) Baibín (Irish Gaelic) Bairbre (Irish Gaelic) Bára (Czech) Barabal (Scottish Gaelic) Barb (name) (English) Barba (Faroese) Bàrbara (Catalan) Bárbara (Galician, Portuguese, Spanish) Barbara (Belarusian, Croatian, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Maltese, Polish, Romanian, Slovene, Serbian) Barbare (Georgian) Barbary (English) Bärbel (German) Barbera (Italian, old Florentine variant) Barbie (English) Barbo (Norwegian) Barbora (Czech, Lithuanian, Slovak) Barborka (Slovak), (Czech) Barbra (English) Barbro (Norwegian, Swedish) Barbuš, Baruš (Czech) Barby (English) Barča (Czech) Barunka (Czech) Baruška (Czech) Basia (Polish) Baśka (Polish) Basieńka (Polish) Berber (West Frisian) Borbála, Barbara (Hungarian) Varvara (Bulgarian, Greek, Russian) Βαρβάρα (Varvara), (Greek) Варвара (Varvara), (Russian, Ukrainian) Варя (Varya), (Russian, Ukrainian)
People with the given name Barbara or Bárbara Academia Barbara Abbott (born 1943), American linguist Barbara Adams (Egyptologist) (1945–2002), British historian and Egyptologist Barbara Angus (1924–2005), New Zealand diplomat and historian Barbara Evelyn Bailey (born 1942), Jamaican educator and gender studies advocate Barbara Bailey (Connecticut Four), American librarian and activist Barbara Bates (American physician) (1928–2002), American physician, author and historian
Barbara Dawson (born 1957), Irish art historian, museum gallery director, author, curator Barbara Drossel (born 1963), German physicist
Barbara Ercolano (born 1977), Italian astrophysicist Barbara Galland, New Zealand academic in the field of paediatric sleep health Barbara R. Hatton, American academic administrator Barbara Hochstein, German–New Zealand radiologist Barbara Krauthamer (born 1967), American historian Barbara Levick (1931–2023), British historian Barbara Liskov (born 1939), American computer scientist, recipient of the Turing Award
Barbara McClintock (1902–1992), American scientist Barbara Mitcalfe (1928–2017), New Zealand conservationist, botanist and educator Barbara Rokowska (1926–2012), Polish mathematician Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger (born 1955), German historian
Barbara Tudek (1952–2019), biologist, professor who served as president of the Polish section of the European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society Barbara Voss (born 1967), American historical archaeologist Barbara Ward (1914–1981), Lady Jackson, British economist and writer Barbara Yeaman (1924–2025), American conservationist Barbara Yorke (born 1951), British historian
Arts Barbara (1930–1997; stage name of Monique Andrée Serf), French singer Barbara Acklin (1943–1998), American soul singer Barbara Avedon (1925–1994), American television writer Dame Barbara Cartland (1901–2000), English novelist Barbara Chase-Riboud (born 1939), American visual artist and sculptor (born 1939) Barbara Comyns (1907–1992), English writer and artist Barbara Corcoran (born 1949), American entrepreneur Barbara Dex (born 1974), Belgian singer Barbara Dickson (born 1947), British singer Barbara Fei (1931–2017), Hong Kong soprano opera singer Barbara Frischmuth (1941–2025), Austrian writer and poet Barbara Frittoli (born 1967), Italian opera singer Barbara Gibbs Golffing (1912–1993), American poet and translator Barbara Gordon (filmmaker) (born 1935), American documentary filmmaker and author Barbara Harnack (born 1957), American ceramic and mixed media sculpture artist Barbara Haščáková (1979–2023), Slovak singer Barbara Hendricks (born 1948), African-American operatic soprano Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975), British artist and sculptor Barbara Elisabeth van Houten (1863–1950), Dutch painter Barbara Jakobson (1933–2025), American art collector Barbara Nation, known as Barbara Jones, Jamaican singer Barbara Jordan (poet) (born 1949), American poet Barbara Karinska (1886–1983), Ukrainian costumer of the New York City Ballet Barbara Karlich (born 1969), Austrian television presenter Barbara Keiler, pen name Judith Arnold (born 1953), American writer Barbara Kingsolver (born 1955), American novelist and essayist Barbara Kolb (1939–2024), American composer Barbara Kopple (born 1946), American film director Barbara Longhi (1552–1638), Italian painter Barbara Mandrell (born 1948), American singer and musician Barbara Matera (costume designer) (1929–2001), British-born American costume and clothing designer Barbara McCauley (born 1951), American romance writer Barbara Moore (disambiguation), various individuals with the same or similar names Barbara O'Neal, American novelist Barbara Pennington (1954–2023), American music artist Barbara Pravi (born 1993), French singer Barbara Randolph (1942–2002), American soul singer
Barbara Rybałtowska (1936–2025), Polish singer, songwriter Barbara Schöneberger (born 1974), German entertainer Barbara Seidenath (born 1960), American metalsmith and jeweler Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677), Italian Baroque singer and composer Barbara Jožefa Struss (1805–1880), Slovenian drawing teacher and painter Barbara Traub, American photographer Barbara "Basia" Trzetrzelewska (born 1954), Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist Barbara Vernon (writer) (1916–1978), Australian playwright and screenwriter Barbara Yelin (born 1977), German cartoonist
Actors Barbara Auer (born 1959), German actress Barbara Bach (born 1947), American actress Barbara Bain (born 1931), American actress Barbara Barrie (born 1931), American actress Barbara Bates (1925–1969), American actress Barbara Carrera (born 1945), Nicaraguan-American actress Barbara Colby (1939–1975), American actress Barbara Dunkelman (born 1989), Canadian-born actress and internet personality Barbara Eden (born 1931), American actress Barbara Feldon (born 1933), American actress Barbara Flaminia (1540–1586), Italian stage actress Barbara Hale (1922–2017), American actress Barbara Hershey (born 1948), American actress Barbara Jefford (1930–2020), British actress Barbara Kellerman (born 1949), British actress Barbara Kent (1907–2011), American actress Barbara Knox (born 1933), English actress Barbara La Marr (1896–1926), American actress Barbara Lea (1929–2011), American actress and singer Barbara McNair (1934–2007), American singer and actress Barbara Nedeljáková (born 1979), Slovak actress Barbara Nichols (1928–1976), American actress and sex symbol Barbara O'Neil (1910–1980), American actress Barbara Rafferty (born 1950), Scottish actress Barbara Rudnik (1958–2009), German actress Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990), American actress Barbara Sukowa (born 1950), German actress Barbara Windsor (1937–2020), English comedy and soap opera actress Barbara Alyn Woods (born 1962), American actress Barbara Yung (1959–1985), Hong Kong actress
Law Barbara Findlay, Canadian lawyer Barbara Jackman (born 1950), Canadian lawyer Barbara S. Jones (born 1947), United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Barbara Ann Rowan (1938–2020), American attorney Barbara Seal, Canadian judge from Montreal, Quebec
Nobility Barbara of Austria (1539–1572), Archduchess of Austria Barbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515), Queen consort of Bohemia and Hungary Barbara of Cilli (1392–1451), Queen of Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, Empress of Holy Roman Empire Barbara Hamilton, 14th Baroness Dudley (1907–2002), British noblewoman Barbara of Hesse (1536–1597), Duchess of Württemberg-Mömpelgard Barbara of Portugal (1711–1758), Queen Consort of Spain Barbara Bronisława Czarnowska (1810–1891), Polish noblewoman, independence fighter and soldier Barbara Freyberg, Baroness Freyberg (1887–1973), British peeress Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland (1640–1709) Barbara Radziwiłł (1520–1551), Queen of Poland Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth (1914–1981), British economist and writer
Politics, Diplomacy & Activism Barbara Adams (attorney) (born 1951), Pennsylvania attorney and politician Barbara Adams (politician) (born 1962), Canadian politician Barbara Agostino (born 1982), Luxembourgish politician Barbara Allimadi (1972–2020), Ugandan politician and human rights activist Barbara Ayrton-Gould (1886–1950), British politician and suffragist Barbara Bailey (politician) (born 1944), American politician Barbara Ball (1924–2011), Bermudian politician Barbara Ballard (born 1944), American politician Barbara Bartuś (born 1967), Polish politician Barbara Biggie, American politician Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard (born 1950), American politician Barbara Boxer (born 1940), American politician (US House Representative & US Senator, D-CA) Barbara Bush (1925–2018), First Lady of the United States 1989–1993 Barbara Cartwright, Bahamian politician Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn (1910–2002), British politician Barbara Creecy (born 1958), South African politician Barbara Comstock (born 1959), American attorney, lobbyist, and politician Barbara Dittrich (born 1964), American politician Barbara Dürk, (1949–2014), German trade union functionary, publicist and management consultant Barbara Ehrenreich (1941–2022), American author and political activist Barbara Waxman Fiduccia (1955–2001), American disability activist, author, and educator Barbara Floridia (born 1977), Italian politician Barbara French (1926–2022), American politician Barbara Gibson (born 1962), American-born British politician and academic