Barbara
Girl name · #968 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Barbara? In official American birth records, Barbara has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Barbara ranks #968 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 264 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #849, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,818 girls born in 2025 was named Barbara.
Babies named Barbara per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Barbara first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 127 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 48,800 girls were named Barbara — good for #4 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Barbara against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Barbara in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Barbara is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Barbara will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Barbara is most common
Geography matters for names, and Barbara is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Barbara is most common in PA (0.6 per 1,000), IN (0.5 per 1,000), MO (0.5 per 1,000), TX (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Barbara is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Barbara
Statistically, parents drawn to Barbara tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sandra, Beverly, Linda, Cynthia, and Brenda.
SandraBeverlyLindaCynthiaBrendaPatriciaTeresaCarolyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Barbara | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264 | #968 |
| 2024 | 317 | #852 |
| 2023 | 308 | #871 |
| 2022 | 276 | #966 |
| 2021 | 299 | #904 |
| 2020 | 301 | #886 |
| 2019 | 287 | #922 |
| 2018 | 291 | #920 |
| 2017 | 303 | #890 |
| 2016 | 329 | #856 |
| 2015 | 329 | #849 |
| 2014 | 326 | #848 |
| 2013 | 321 | #831 |
| 2012 | 296 | #893 |
| 2011 | 369 | #745 |
| 2010 | 412 | #692 |
| 2009 | 465 | #639 |
| 2008 | 397 | #747 |
| 2007 | 482 | #618 |
| 2006 | 554 | #538 |
| 2005 | 412 | #674 |
| 2004 | 438 | #623 |
| 2003 | 437 | #613 |
| 2002 | 509 | #541 |
| 2001 | 502 | #533 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Barbara?
In official American birth records, the name Barbara first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 127 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Barbara a popular girl name?
Barbara ranked #968 among girls in 2025 with 264 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #849.
When was the name Barbara most popular?
Barbara peaked in 1947, when 48,800 American girls received the name (ranked #4 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Barbara?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,818 newborn American girls was named Barbara. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.