Baby Name Popularity Profile

Barbara

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Barbara.

✦ Foreign woman 🌍 Greek, Latin traditional
National Rank (2025) #968
All-Time Peak Rank #2 Achieved 1937
Total U.S. Births 1,436,695 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.0% Boy / 100.0% Girl Female Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1940s 48,800 births in 1947
πŸ’‘ The Barbara Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Foreign woman
Language Origin Greek, Latin
Origin Type multiple
Derived from the Greek word 'barbaros' meaning 'foreign' or 'stranger', later adopted into Latin.
Common Nicknames
Babs Barbie Barb
Alternative Spellings
Barbra
Pronunciation: BAR-bΙ™-rΙ™
Themes & Categories
traditional
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Barbara

According to SSA data, Barbara achieved its highest historical rank of #2 in 1937. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1947 with 48,800 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 19.8%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Barbara across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -19.8% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 48,800 births in 1947
Years in Top 100 64 yrs
Years in Top 500 120 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 1,820
1890s: 2,783
1900s: 3,999
1910s: 23,704
1920s: 97,210
1930s: 296,420
1940s: 425,271
1950s: 345,722
1960s: 159,773
1970s: 42,237
1980s: 19,139
1990s: 8,859
2000s: 4,730
2010s: 3,263
2020s: 1,765

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Bar-ba-ra
Letter Count 7 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 54.1% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 54.1% of SSA names. Starts with B, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Barbara.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State District of Columbia
Top States District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, West Virginia
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
District of Columbia Unranked 11,369 1943 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 8,653 1946 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 3,869 1929 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts Unranked 51,890 1932 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 18,977 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 21,791 1942 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey Unranked 53,647 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 8,460 1932 Insufficient historical volume
New York #914 147,292 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #416 102,121 1942 Stable
Delaware Unranked 3,737 1946 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 2,459 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #632 35,320 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #796 66,725 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #894 79,225 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #509 22,300 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #810 82,917 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 4,912 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 11,820 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 29,243 1948 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 5,312 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #520 34,965 1942 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 4,905 1932 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #514 36,830 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #449 26,618 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland Unranked 22,633 1948 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 16,166 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama Unranked 27,216 1947 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina Unranked 21,294 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 15,355 1948 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 18,382 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #1210 32,273 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee Unranked 29,861 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 18,835 1938 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 4,669 1948 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #1299 38,394 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 23,639 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 5,024 1939 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 11,221 1948 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia Unranked 33,317 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #1072 19,158 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado Unranked 12,989 1947 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 5,517 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 3,051 1944 Insufficient historical volume
California #1115 87,644 1947 34.3% Decline
Florida #1341 28,987 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 1,178 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Utah Unranked 6,653 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #714 58,460 1947 19.2% Decline
Arizona #1065 7,470 1948 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 1,449 1944 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Ronnie Jerry Allan Domingo Carolyn Librado Roberta Cleotha Geoffry Raeford
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
Linda Nancy Marilyn Carolyn Maryann Rosetta Marylou Karolyn Marilee Marylin

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