Barbara is a distinctive choice, ranked #2001 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Barbara in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#2001
US Rank #860
About the Name Barbara
Barbara has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 763 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #848 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Barbara is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #860, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Barbara
Unlikely. With around 14 UK babies named Barbara per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Barbara in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Barbara has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 763 places in the last five years. Its peak was #848 in 1996. Choosing it now means she is likely to be among the last of her generation with this name.
Barbara is more popular in the US (#860) than in the UK (#2001). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Barbara include: Barbara Palvin — Barbara Sprouse is a Hungarian model and actress.; Barbara Bach — Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey is an American retired actress and model.; Barbara Alberti — Barbara Alberti is an Italian writer, reporter and media personality..
Barbara ranks #860 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
14
UK babies named Barbara (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 763 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Barbara
Likely around 1 other Barbara in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Barbara
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Barbara Woolworth Hutton was an American debutante, socialite, heiress and philanthropist. She was dubbed the "Poor Little Rich Girl"— first when she was given a lavish and expensive debutante ball in 1930 amid the Great Depression and later due to a notoriously troubled private life.
Barbara Wertheim Tuchman was an American historian, journalist and author. She won the Pulitzer Prize twice, for The Guns of August, a best-selling history of the prelude to and the first month of World War I, and Stilwell and the American Experience in China, a biography of General Joseph Stilwell.
Barbara Jean Lee is an American politician who has served as the 52nd mayor of Oakland since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Lee previously served as a U.S.
Saint Barbara (Ancient Greek: Ἁγία Βαρβάρα; Coptic: Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲁ; Church Slavonic: Великомученица Варва́ра Илиопольская; Arabic: القديسة الشهيدة بربارة), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Syrian Greek saint and martyr. Saint Barbara is often portrayed with miniature chains and a tower to symbolize her father imprisoning her.