Barbara is a distinctive choice, ranked #2440 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Barbara in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#2440
US Rank #968
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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 rare in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Barbara in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #860, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Barbara
Barbara Palvin — Barbara Sprouse is a Hungarian model and actress.
Barbara Hutton — Barbara Woolworth Hutton was an American debutante, socialite, heiress and philanthropist.
Barbara Bach — Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey is an American retired actress and model.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Barbara
Unlikely. With around 11 UK babies named Barbara per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Barbara in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Barbara is declining: down 1,202 places since 2020, to #2,440 in 2025. It peaked at #848 in 1996.
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 Bach and Barbara Alberti. Short summaries for each appear below.
Barbara ranks #860 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
11
UK babies named Barbara (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 1202 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
Almost certainly the only Barbara in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Barbara
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
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.