Barbara Name Meaning, Origin & Gender

Barbara Name at a Glance

Name	Barbara
Meaning	From the Greek barbaros meaning foreign or strange, traveler from a foreign land. Popular in medieval Britain after the 3rd century martyr St Barbara. In Catholic custom St. Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning.
Origin	English
Gender	Girl

What Does the Name Barbara Mean?

According to the information recorded in our baby name database, Barbara means “From the Greek barbaros meaning foreign or strange, traveler from a foreign land. Popular in medieval Britain after the 3rd century martyr St Barbara. In Catholic custom St. Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning”. Name meanings can vary between languages, regions and naming traditions, so families may also wish to confirm a meaning within the cultural or linguistic context that matters to them.

Barbara Name Origin

Our database records Barbara under English origin. Browse more English baby names to compare other names in the same origin collection.

Is Barbara a Boy or Girl Name?

In our database, Barbara is listed as a girl name. Usage can differ across countries, languages and families.

Choosing the Name Barbara

When considering Barbara for a baby, you may want to compare its recorded meaning and origin with family traditions, pronunciation, spelling, initials, middle names and how the full name sounds with the family name.