Rapunzel and the Prince , an illustration by Paul Hey. Barbara is a given name used in numerous languages. It is the feminine form of the Greek word barbaros (Greek : βάρβαρος ) meaning "stranger" or "foreign".[1] In Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox tradition, Saint Barbara (Greek : Ἁγία Βαρβάρα) 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] 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 .[5] 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.[6] [7] 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.[8] The popular film Barbie , in which the main character begins using the name Barbara, came out 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.[9] In the same year, it was the most common name for girls born in Rome and in Bologna .[10]
Variants Babara (Hawaiian ) Babbie (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 (Croatian , English , French , German , Hungarian , Italian , Polish , Slovene , Belarusian 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 (Hungarian ) Varvara (Bulgarian , Greek )Βαρβάρα (Varvara), (Greek ) Варвара (Varvara), (Russian , Ukrainian ) Варя (Varya), (Russian , Ukrainian ) People with the given name Barbara (or variants) Barbara (1930–1997; stage name of Monique Andrée Serf), French singerSaint Barbara , early Christian martyrBárbara de Santo Domingo (1842–1872), Spanish Catholic mysticBarbara of Austria (1539–1572), Archduchess of AustriaBarbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515) , Queen consort of Bohemia and HungaryBarbara of Cilli (1392–1451), Queen of Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, Empress of Holy Roman EmpireBarbara of Hesse (1536–1597), Duchess of Württemberg-MömpelgardBarbara of Portugal (1711–1758), Queen Consort of SpainBarbara Abart (born 1985), Italian lugerBarbara Abbott (born 1943), American linguistBarbara Acklin (1943–1998), American soul singerBarbara Adachi , American businesswomanBarbara Adams (born 1951), Pennsylvania attorney and politicianBarbara Adams (1945–2002), British historian and EgyptologistBarbara Adams (born 1962), Canadian politicianBarbara Agostino (born 1982), Luxembourgian politicianBarbara Aigner (born 2005), Austrian para-alpine skierVarvara Akritidou (born 1981), Greek judokaBarbra Amesbury (born 1948), formerly Bill Amesbury, Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and filmmakerBarbara Angus (1924–2005), New Zealand diplomat and historianBarbara Auer (born 1959), German actressBarbara Avedon (1925–1994), television writerBarbara Ayrton-Gould (1886–1950), British politician and suffragistBarbara Bach (born 1947), American actressBarbara Bailey (1910–2003), British nun (Sister Mary Barbara Bailey), artist, and illustratorBarbara Evelyn Bailey (born 1942), Jamaican educator and gender studies advocateBarbara Bailey (born 1944), American politicianBarbara Bailey (Connecticut Four) , American librarian and activistBarbara Bain (born 1931), American actressBarbara Ball (1924–2011), Bermudian politicianBarbara Ballard (born 1944), American politicianBárbara Micheline do Monte Barbosa (born 1988), known as Bárbara, Brazilian footballerBarbara Barrie (born 1931), American actressBarbara Bartuś (born 1967), Polish politicianBarbara Bates (1925–1969), American actressBarbara Bates (1928–2002), American physician, author and historianBarbara Berlusconi (born 1984), Italian business executiveBarbara Bestor (born 1969), American architect based in Los AngelesBarbara Bohannan-Sheppard (born 1950), American politicianBarbara Boxer (born 1940), American politician (US House Representative & US Senator, D-CA)Barbara Bush (1925–2018), First Lady of the United States (1989–1993)Bárbara Cabrera (born 1996), Argentine fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who was appointed Miss Universe Argentina 2022Barbara Calder (1924–2018), British yachtswomanBarbara Carrera (born 1945), Nicaraguan-American actressDame Barbara Cartland (1901–2000), English novelist Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn (1910–2002), British politicianBarbara Chase-Riboud , American visual artist and sculptor (born 1939)Barbara Creecy (born 1958), South African politicianBarbara Colby (1939–1975), American actressBarbara Comstock (born 1959), American attorney, lobbyist, and politicianBarbara Comyns (1907–1992), English writer and artistBarbara Corcoran (born 1949), American entrepreneurBarbara Dawson (born 1957), Irish art historian, museum gallery director, author, curatorBarbara Dex (born 1974), Belgian singerBarbara Dickson (born 1947), British singerBarbara Dittrich (born 1964), American politicianBarbara Dreaver , New Zealand broadcast journalistBarbara Dunkelman (born 1989), Canadian-born actress and internet personalityBarbara Dürk , (1949-2014, Frankfurt am Main), German trade union functionary, publicist and management consultantBarbara Eden (born 1931), American actressBarbara Ehrenreich (1941–2022), American author and political activistBarbara Ercolano , Italian astrophysicistBarbro Eriksdotter (Bielke) (died 1553), Swedish nobleVarvara Fasoi (born 1991), Greek road cyclistBarbara Fei (1931–2017), Hong Kong soprano opera singerBarbara Feldon (born 1933), American actressBarbara Waxman Fiduccia (1955–2001), American disability activist, author, and educatorBarbara Figueroa , American chefVarvara Filiou (born 1994), Greek rhythmic gymnast and coachbarbara findlay , Canadian lawyerBarbara Flaminia (1540–1586), Italian stage actressBarbara Floridia (born 1977), Italian politicianBarbara Freyberg, Baroness Freyberg (1887–1973), British peeressBarbara Frittoli (born 1967), Italian opera singerDame Barbara Frost (born 1952), British charity executive Barbara Frum (1937–1992), Canadian broadcast journalistBarbara Fugger (1419–1497), German bankerBarbara Fuld, better known as Bracha Fuld (1926–1946), German-born Jewish resistance fighter Barbra Fuller (1921–2024), American actress and centenarianBarbara Galland , New Zealand academic in the field of paediatric sleep healthBarbara Galpin (1855–1922), American journalistBarbara Gibbs Golffing (1912–1993), American poet and translatorBarbara Gibson (born 1962), American-born British politician and academicBarbara Gordon , American documentary filmmaker and authorBarbara Hale (1922–2017), American actressBarbara Hamilton, 14th Baroness Dudley (1907–2002), British noblewomanBarbara Hanley (1882–1959), Canadian politicianBarbara Harris , various individuals with same or similar namesBarbara Haščáková (1979–2023), Slovak singerBarbara R. Hatton , American academic administratorBarbara Hendricks (born 1948), African-American operatic sopranoBarbara Hendricks (politician) (born 1952), German politician, Minister of FinanceDame Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975), British artist and sculptor Barbara Hershey (born 1948), American actressBarbara Howard (1920–2017), Canadian sprinterBarbara Hutton (1912–1979), American heiressBarbara Elisabeth van Houten (1863–1950), Dutch painterBarbara Jackman (born 1950), Canadian lawyerBarbara Janke (born 1947), British politicianBarbara Jefford (1930–2020), British actressBarbara Jelić-Ružić (born 1977), Croatian volleyball playerBarbara Nation, known as Barbara Jones , Jamaican singer Barbara Jones (sprinter) (born 1937), American sprinterBarbara S. Jones (born 1947), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkBarbara Jordan (1936–1996), American politicianBarbara Jordan (poet) (born 1949), American poetBarbara Jordan (tennis) (born 1957), American tennis playerBarbara Joscelyne (born 1959), British Paralympian athleteBarbara Kalik (born 1936), American politicianBarbara Karinska (1886–1983), Ukrainian costumer of the New York City BalletBarbara Karlich (born 1969), Austrian television presenterBarbara Kavovit , American socialiteBarbara Kay (born 1943), Canadian columnistBarbara Keeley (born 1952), British politicianBarbara Keiler, pen name Judith Arnold (born 1953), American writer Barbara Kellerman (born 1949), British actressBarbara Kendall (born 1967), boardsailor from New ZealandBarbara B. Kennelly (born 1936), American politicianBarbara Kent (1907–2011), American actressBarbara Kingsolver (born 1955), American novelist and essayistBarbara Klerk (born 1989), Belgian figure skaterBarbara Knox (born 1933), English actressBarbora Kodetová (born 1970), Czech actressBarbara Kolb (born 1939), American composerBarbara Kopple (born 1946), American film directorBarbara Krauthamer (born 1967), American historianBarbara La Marr (1896–1926), American actressBarbara Lah (born 1972), Italian triple jumperBarbara Lea (1929–2011), American actress and singerBarbara Ledermann (born 1925), German-born American Holocaust survivorBarbara Lee (born 1946), American politicianBarbara Levick (1931–2023), British historianBarbara Lezzi (born 1972), Italian politicianBarbara Liskov (born 1939), American computer scientist, recipient of the Turing AwardBarbara Longhi (1552–1638), Italian painterBarbara de Loor (born 1974), Dutch speed skaterBarbara Mandrell (born 1948), American singer and musicianBarbara Joan March (born 1945), American criminalBarbara Masini (born 1974), Italian politicianBarbara Matera (politician) (born 1981), Italian politicianBarbara Matera (costume designer) (1929–2001), British-born American costume and clothing designerBarbara McAlister , various individuals with the same or similar namesBarbara McCauley , American romance writerBarbara McClintock (1902–1992), American scientistBarbara McNair (1934–2007), American singer and actressBarbara Mensing (born 1960), German archerBarbara Mikulski (born 1936), American politicianBarbara Mitcalfe (1928–2017), New Zealand conservationist, botanist and educatorBarbara Moore , various individuals with the same or similar namesBarbara Nedeljáková (born 1979), Slovak actressBarbara Nichols (1928–1976), American actress and sex symbolBarbara Niedernhuber (born 1974), German lugerBarbara Oddone (born 1970), Italian tennis playerBarbara O'Neal , American novelistBarbara O'Neil (1910–1980), American actressBárbara Palacios (born 1963), Venezuelan beauty queenBarbara Palvin (born 1993), Hungarian modelBarbara Patton (born 1944), New York politician and university professorBarbara Paulus (born 1970), Austrian tennis playerBarbara Pennington (1954–2023), American music artistBarbara Peterson (born 1953), American philanthropist and former beauty pageant titleholderBarbara Piwnik (born 1955), Polish judge and politicianBarbara Poma, founder of the Pulse nightclub, which experienced a mass shooting on June 12, 2016. Barbara Pompili (born 1975), French politicianBarbara Potter (born 1961), Barbara Jordan's American compatriot and tennis playerBarbara Pravi (born 1993), French singerBarbara Rafferty (born 1950), Scottish actressBarbara Randolph (1942–2002), American soul singerBarbara Radziwiłł (1520–1551), Queen of PolandBarbara Rittner (born 1973), German tennis playerBarbara Riveros Diaz , Chilean triathleteBarbara "Dusty" Roads (born 1928), labor activist and flight attendantBarbara Roche (born 1954), British politicianBarbara Romagnan (born 1974), French politician and teacherBarbara Ann Rowan (1938–2020), American attorneyBarbara Rudnik (1958–2009), German actressDame Barbara Salt (1904–1975), British diplomat Barbara Schack (1873/4–1958), Sudeten German politicianBarbara Schett (born 1976), Austrian tennis playerBarbara Schöneberger (born 1974), German entertainerBarbara Schwartz (disambiguation) , several peopleBarbara Seidenath (born 1960), American metalsmith and jewelerBarbara Schmid-Federer (born 1965), Swiss politicianBarbara Seal , Canadian former judge from Montreal, Quebec.Barbara Stanwyck (1907–1990), American actressBarbara Steel (1857–1942), Scottish-South African suffragetteBarbra Streisand (born 1942), American singer and film and theatre actressBarbara Strozzi (1619–1677), Italian Baroque singer and composerBarbara Sturgeon , British broadcasterBarbara Sukowa (born 1950), German actressBarbara Thaler (born 1982), Austrian politicianBarbara Thenn (1519–1579) Austrian merchant and MünzmeisterBarbara Traub , American photographerBarbara Tudek (1952–2019), biologist, professor who served as president of the Polish section of the European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics SocietyBarbara "Basia" Trzetrzelewska (born 1954), Polish singer-songwriter and recording artistBarbara Vernon (activist) , Australian maternity activist and government lobbyistBarbara Vernon (writer) (1916–1978), Australian playwright and screenwriterBarbara Voss (born 1967), American historical archaeologistBarbara Wagner (born 1938), Canadian figure skaterBarbara Walters (1929–2022), American journalistDame Barbara Ward, Lady Jackson , British economist and writer Barbara Wasinger , American politicianBarbara Webster-Bourne , Anguillian Speaker of the National AssemblyDame Barbara Windsor (1937–2020), English comedy and soap opera actress Barbara Alyn Woods , American actressBarbara Woodward (born 1961), British diplomatBarbara Yeaman (born 1924), American conservationistBarbara Yelin (born 1977), German cartoonistBarbara Yorke (born 1951), British historianBarbara Young , various individuals with the same or similar namesBarbara Yung (1959–1985), Hong Kong actressBarbara Zdunk (1769–1811), Polish alleged arsonistSee also References ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names . Oxford University Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-19-861060-2 . ^ \Losemann, Volker. "'Barbarians'". Brill's New Pauly Online . Brill. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e212470. Retrieved 10 November 2021 . ^ "How St. Barbara was the original 'Rapunzel'". Aleteia—Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture. December 4, 2018. ^ "100 najpopularniejszych imion dla dzieci w 2009 roku". Gazetaprawna.pl. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 2012-02-21 . ^ Angela Andalara. "'Barbie' and 'Ken' Rise in Baby Name Searches amid Film's Continued Success (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved 2023-12-16 . ^ Mike Campbell. "Popularity for Barbara". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2012-07-16 . ^ OACT. "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Administration. Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2019-09-19 . ^ "Names that increased in popularity from 2022 to 2023". ssa.gov . United States Social Security Administration. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024 . ^ Cfr. Alda Rossebastiano-Elena Papa, I nomi di persona in Italia: dizionario storico ed etimologico , Torino, UTET, 2005 (in Italian) . ^ 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).