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The short answer
Barbara is a feminine name used in English and Italian. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Derived from Latin barbarus meaning ‘foreign, savage, strange’, originally from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning ‘foreign, non-Greek’. According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning." It ranked #968 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, derived from Latin barbarus meaning ‘foreign, savage, strange’, originally from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning ‘foreign, non-Greek’. According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. The entry lists its usage as English, Italian, French, German and others.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Barbara ranked #968 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #968 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Barbara in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Barbara mean?
Barbara means "foreign, savage, strange", according to Behind the Name.
Is Barbara a popular name?
Barbara ranked #968 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Barbara a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Barbara appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Barbara — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
