Barbara
A female given name from Latin.
Every Barbara since 1880 — 1,440,831 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Barbara
Barbara is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #968 in 2025 with 264 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,440,831 American babies have been named Barbara. Its peak came in 1947, when 48,889 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Barbara stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Barbara year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264 | #968 | — | — |
| 2024 | 317 | #853 | — | — |
| 2023 | 308 | #871 | — | — |
| 2022 | 276 | #967 | — | — |
| 2021 | 299 | #904 | — | — |
| 2020 | 301 | #886 | — | — |
| 2019 | 287 | #922 | — | — |
| 2018 | 291 | #921 | — | — |
| 2017 | 303 | #890 | — | — |
| 2016 | 329 | #856 | — | — |
| 2015 | 329 | #850 | — | — |
| 2014 | 326 | #848 | — | — |
| 2013 | 321 | #831 | — | — |
| 2012 | 296 | #894 | — | — |
| 2011 | 369 | #746 | — | — |
| 2010 | 412 | #692 | — | — |
| 2009 | 465 | #639 | — | — |
| 2008 | 397 | #747 | — | — |
| 2007 | 482 | #618 | — | — |
| 2006 | 554 | #538 | — | — |
| 2005 | 412 | #674 | — | — |
| 2004 | 438 | #623 | — | — |
| 2003 | 437 | #614 | — | — |
| 2002 | 509 | #541 | — | — |
| 2001 | 502 | #533 | — | — |
| 2000 | 534 | #505 | — | — |
| 1995 | 758 | #347 | — | — |
| 1990 | 1,388 | #207 | 5 | #8,229 |
| 1985 | 1,677 | #169 | 11 | #3,820 |
| 1980 | 2,578 | #120 | 13 | #3,275 |
| 1975 | 3,454 | #83 | 18 | #2,369 |
| 1970 | 8,026 | #41 | 24 | #1,799 |
| 1965 | 14,023 | #25 | 42 | #1,164 |
| 1960 | 24,454 | #12 | 63 | #952 |
| 1955 | 33,617 | #7 | 80 | #819 |
| 1950 | 41,556 | #4 | 70 | #814 |
| 1945 | 38,273 | #3 | 87 | #649 |
| 1940 | 36,736 | #2 | 140 | #489 |
| 1935 | 30,698 | #3 | 124 | #517 |
| 1930 | 18,279 | #6 | 74 | #739 |
| 1925 | 9,155 | #22 | 26 | #1,454 |
| 1920 | 5,106 | #47 | 9 | #2,984 |
| 1915 | 2,704 | #83 | — | — |
| 1910 | 612 | #136 | — | — |
| 1905 | 366 | #154 | — | — |
| 1900 | 338 | #162 | — | — |
| 1895 | 298 | #150 | — | — |
| 1890 | 241 | #147 | — | — |
| 1885 | 195 | #129 | — | — |
| 1880 | 127 | #128 | — | — |
Famous people named Barbara
- Barbara of Cilli Politician · 1392–1451
- Barbara McClintock Biologist · 1902–1992
- Barbara of Portugal Politician · 1711–1758
- Barbara Radziwiłł Companion · 1520–1551
- Barbara Bush Politician · 1925–2018
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Barbara mean?
A female given name from Latin.
How popular is the name Barbara in 2025?
Barbara ranked #968 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 264 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Barbara?
1,440,831 babies have been named Barbara in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Barbara most popular?
Barbara peaked in 1947, when 48,889 newborns received the name.
Is Barbara a boy or girl name?
Barbara is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Barbara rising or falling?
Barbara has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Barbara?
Well-known people named Barbara include Barbara of Cilli (politician), Barbara McClintock (biologist), Barbara of Portugal (politician).