Barbara is a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

used in numerous languages. It is the feminine form of the Greek word ''barbaros'' () meaning "stranger" or "foreign". In

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

tradition,

Saint Barbara Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...

(

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: Ἁγία Βαρβάρα) was imprisoned in a tower by her father. She was then

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

ed by her father when she refused to renounce Christianity. According to legend, her father was then punished with death by lightning. As such, Saint Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning. Early Christians occasionally referred to themselves as "barbarians" in opposition to the pagan Romans and Greeks. The story of Saint Barbara is said to have been an inspiration for the

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

Rapunzel "Rapunzel" ( ; ; or ) is a German fairy tale most notably recorded by the Brothers Grimm and it was published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Grimms' story was developed from the French literary fairy tale ...

and other European stories that feature a maiden in a tower. Today, the name Barbara or its variants are commonly given to female babies born in such countries as

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

, and

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, among others. Barbie, a traditional English

hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for Isabel or ''Bob (given name), Bob'' fo ...

for the name and the brand name of a popular fashion

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

, is well-used as an independent name for girls and women in the American

Amish The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...

community. There was also increased interest in the name Barbie following the release of the 2023 film ''

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

''. Barbara was among the most popular names for girls in English-speaking countries in the first half of the 20th century but has since decreased in usage in countries such as the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

.There were 271 American girls named Barbara and 27 American girls named Barbie in 2022. The name increased in usage in 2023 in the United States, with 305 newborn girls given the name that year, an increase of 87 from 2022. The name ranked 877th on the popularity chart in 2023. Another 32 American girls were named Barbie in 2023. The popular film ''

'', in which the main character begins using the name Barbara, came out in 2023. In

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, Barbara was particularly popular during the 1970s: it was among the top 10 names given to girls born from 1969 to 1977, rising to 2nd place (behind Maria) in 1971. In the same year, it was the most common name for girls born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

.Cfr. Enzo Caffarelli, ''L'onomastica personale nella città di Roma dalla fine del secolo XIX ad oggi. Per una nuova prospettivi di sociografia e cronografia antroponimica'', Tubinga, Niemeyer, 1996 (in Italian).

Variants

* Babara ( Hawaiian) * Babbie ( English) * Baiba ( Latvian) * Baibín (

Irish Gaelic Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigeno ...

) * Bairbre (

) * Bára (

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

) * Barabal (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

) *

Barb (name) Barb is a feminine given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Barbara. It is also sometimes a surname. People Given name * Barb Bellini (born 1977), Canadian retired volleyball player * Barbara Barb Bond (born 1962), American former rugby u ...

( English) * Barba ( Faroese) * Bàrbara ( Catalan) * Bárbara ( Galician, Portuguese,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

) * Barbara ( Belarusian, Croatian, English, French,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, Hungarian,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...

, Polish, Slovene, Serbian * Barbare ( Georgian) * Barbary ( English) * Bärbel (

) * Barbera (

, old Florentine variant) * Barbie ( English) * Barbo ( Norwegian) * Barbora (

, Lithuanian, Slovak) * Barborka ( Slovak), (

) * Barbra ( English) * Barbro ( Norwegian, Swedish) * Barbuš, Baruš (

) * Barby ( English) * Barča (

) * Barunka (

) * Baruška (

) * Basia ( Polish) * Baśka ( Polish) * Basieńka ( Polish) * Berber ( West Frisian) * Borbála, Barbara ( Hungarian) * Varvara ( Bulgarian,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

) * Βαρβάρα (Varvara), (

) * Варвара (Varvara), (

, Ukrainian) * Варя (Varya), (

, Ukrainian)

People with the given name Barbara (or variants)

* Barbara (1930–1997; stage name of Monique Andrée Serf), French singer *

, early Christian martyr * Bárbara de Santo Domingo (1842–1872), Spanish Catholic mystic * Barbara of Austria (1539–1572), Archduchess of Austria *

Barbara of Brandenburg (1464–1515) Barbara of Brandenburg (30 May 1464 – 4 September 1515), a member of the German House of Hohenzollern, was by birth Margravine of Brandenburg, and by her two marriages, Duchess of Głogów from 1472 to 1476, and Queen of Bohemia (although only ...

, Queen consort of Bohemia and Hungary *

Barbara of Cilli Barbara of Cilli or Barbara of Celje ( Hungarian: ''Cillei Borbála'', German: ''Barbara von Cilli,'' Slovenian and Croatian'': Barbara Celjska,'' 1392 – 11 July 1451), was the Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia by marriage ...

(1392–1451), Queen of Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, Empress of Holy Roman Empire * Barbara of Hesse (1536–1597), Duchess of Württemberg-Mömpelgard *

Barbara of Portugal Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...

(1711–1758), Queen Consort of Spain * Barbara Abart (born 1985), Italian luger * Barbara Abbott (born 1943), American linguist *

Barbara Acklin Barbara Jean Acklin (February 28, 1943 – November 27, 1998) was an American soul singer and songwriter, who was most successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit as a singer was "Love Makes a Woman" (1968). As a songwriter, she is bes ...

(1943–1998), American soul singer * Barbara Adachi, American businesswoman * Barbara Adams (born 1951), Pennsylvania attorney and politician * Barbara Adams (1945–2002), British historian and Egyptologist * Barbara Adams (born 1962), Canadian politician * Barbara Agostino (born 1982), Luxembourgish politician * Barbara Aigner (born 2005), Austrian para-alpine skier * Varvara Akritidou (born 1981), Greek judoka * Barbara Allimadi (1972 –2020),Ugandan politician and human rights activist *

Barbra Amesbury Barbra Amesbury (born 1948) is a Canadian philanthropist, singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker, who had several Top 40 hits in Canada in the 1970s. Amesbury was the long-time partner of Canadian philanthropist Joan Chalmers until her death ...

(born 1948), formerly Bill Amesbury, Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker * Barbara Angus (1924–2005), New Zealand diplomat and historian * Barbara Auer (born 1959), German actress * Barbara Avedon (1925–1994), television writer * Barbara Ayrton-Gould (1886–1950), British politician and suffragist *

Barbara Bach Barbara Bach, Lady Starkey (née Goldbach; August 27, 1946) is an American actress and former model. She played the Bond girl Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me (film), ''The Spy Who Loved Me''. She is married to former The Beatles, Beatles ...

(born 1947), American actress * Barbara Bailey (1910–2003), British nun (Sister Mary Barbara Bailey), artist, and illustrator *

Barbara Evelyn Bailey Barbara Evelyn Bailey OJ (born 14 March 1942) is an educator, writer and gender studies scholar from Kingston, Jamaica. In addition to her education work, she has represented Jamaica at numerous conferences and assemblies regarding women's righ ...

(born 1942), Jamaican educator and gender studies advocate * Barbara Bailey (born 1944), American politician * Barbara Bailey (Connecticut Four), American librarian and activist *

Barbara Bain Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel, September 13, 1931 See also: * ) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter Crawford on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her thr ...

(born 1931), American actress * Barbara Ball (1924–2011), Bermudian politician * Barbara Ballard (born 1944), American politician *

Bárbara Micheline do Monte Barbosa Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...

(born 1988), known as Bárbara, Brazilian footballer *

Barbara Barrie Barbara Barrie (born Barbara Ann Berman; May 23, 1931) is an American actress and author. Her film breakthrough came in 1964 with her performance as Julie in the landmark film '' One Potato, Two Potato'', for which she won the Best Actress Awa ...

(born 1931), American actress *

Barbara Bartuś Barbara Halina Bartuś Gurbisz (born 3 July 1967 in Gorlice) is a Polish politician, a Member of Polish Parliament from 4th to 10th Sejm. Life and education Bartuś graduated from Stanisław Wyspiański High School in Biecz. In 2000 she gr ...

(born 1967), Polish politician * Barbara Bates (1925–1969), American actress * Barbara Bates (1928–2002), American physician, author and historian *

Barbara Berlusconi Barbara Berlusconi (born 30 July 1984) is an Italian business executive. She is advisor to the board of Fininvest and previously sat on the board of directors of A.C. Milan as vice-chairman and CEO. Early life Barbara Berlusconi was born in Ar ...

(born 1984), Italian business executive *

Barbara Bestor Barbara Bestor (born 1966) is an American architect based in Los Angeles, California. She is the principal of Bestor Architecture, founded in 1992. Examples of her work include the Beats Electronics Headquarters in Culver City, Blackbirds, small l ...

(born 1969), American architect based in Los Angeles * Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard (born 1950), American politician *

Barbara Boxer Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is a retired American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United St ...

(born 1940), American politician (US House Representative & US Senator, D-CA) *

Barbara Bush Barbara Bush (; June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018) was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush. She was previously second lady of the United States fr ...

(1925–2018), First Lady of the United States (1989–1993) * Bárbara Cabrera (born 1996), Argentine fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who was appointed Miss Universe Argentina 2022 * Barbara Calder (1924–2018), British yachtswoman * Barbara Carrera (born 1945), Nicaraguan-American actress * Dame

Barbara Cartland Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland (9 July 1901 – 21 May 2000) was an English writer who published both contemporary and historical romance novels, the latter set primarily during the Victorian or Edwardian period. Cartland is one of the ...

(1901–2000), English novelist * Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn (1910–2002), British politician * Barbara Chase-Riboud (born 1939), American visual artist and sculptor (born 1939) *

Barbara Creecy Barbara Dallas Creecy (born 17 June 1958) is a South Africa, South African politician and former Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who has been the Minister of Transport since July 2024. She was formerly the Minister of E ...

(born 1958), South African politician * Barbara Colby (1939–1975), American actress *

Barbara Comstock Barbara Jean Comstock (née Burns; born June 30, 1959) is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was a member o ...

(born 1959), American attorney, lobbyist, and politician * Barbara Comyns (1907–1992), English writer and artist *

Barbara Corcoran Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10, 1949) is an American businesswoman, investor, syndicated columnist, and television personality. She founded The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million ...

(born 1949), American entrepreneur *

Barbara Dawson Barbara Dawson (born 26 April 1957) is an Irish author, editor, art historian, gallery director, and curator. She is curator of several art exhibitions including the works of notable artists such as Francis Bacon (artist), Francis Bacon (2009). ...

(born 1957), Irish art historian, museum gallery director, author, curator * Barbara Dex (born 1974), Belgian singer *

Barbara Dickson Barbara Ruth Dickson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include " I Know Him So Well" (a chart-topping duet with Elaine Paige), " Answer Me" and " January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK ...

(born 1947), British singer * Barbara Dittrich (born 1964), American politician * Barbara Dreaver, New Zealand broadcast journalist *

Barbara Dunkelman Barbara Julie Dunkelman (born July 2, 1989) is a Canadian actress and internet personality. She is known for her work with the former production company Rooster Teeth, where she served as a Creative Director and was formerly the Director of Soci ...

(born 1989), Canadian-born actress and internet personality * Barbara Dürk, (1949–2014, Frankfurt am Main), German trade union functionary, publicist and management consultant *

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress and singer, who starred as the title character in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965–1970). Her other roles included Roslyn Pierce opposite Elvis Presley in ...

(born 1931), American actress *

Barbara Ehrenreich Barbara Ehrenreich (, ; ; August 26, 1941 – September 1, 2022) was an American author and political activist. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she was a prominent figure in the Democratic Socialists of America. She was a widely read and aw ...

(1941–2022), American author and political activist * Barbara Ercolano (born 1977), Italian astrophysicist * Barbro Eriksdotter (Bielke) (died 1553), Swedish noble * Varvara Fasoi (born 1991), Greek road cyclist * Barbara Fei (1931–2017), Hong Kong soprano opera singer * Barbara Feldon (born 1933), American actress * Barbara Waxman Fiduccia (1955–2001), American disability activist, author, and educator * Barbara Figueroa, American chef * Varvara Filiou (born 1994), Greek rhythmic gymnast and coach * barbara findlay, Canadian lawyer * Barbara Flaminia (1540–1586), Italian stage actress * Barbara Floridia (born 1977), Italian politician * Barbara Freyberg, Baroness Freyberg (1887–1973), British peeress * Barbara Frischmuth (1941–2025), Austrian writer and poet * Barbara Frittoli (born 1967), Italian opera singer * Dame Barbara Frost (born 1952), British charity executive * Barbara Frum (1937–1992), Canadian broadcast journalist * Barbara Fugger (1419–1497), German banker * Barbara Fuld, better known as Bracha Fuld (1926–1946), German-born Jewish resistance fighter * Barbra Fuller (1921–2024), American actress and centenarian * Barbara Galland, New Zealand academic in the field of paediatric sleep health * Barbara Galpin (1855–1922), American journalist * Barbara Gibbs Golffing (1912–1993), American poet and translator * Barbara Gibson (born 1962), American-born British politician and academic *

Barbara Gordon Barbara Joan Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Ga ...

(born 1935), American documentary filmmaker and author * Barbara Gysi (born 1964), Swiss politician *

Barbara Hale Barbara Hale (April 18, 1922 – January 26, 2017) was an American actress who portrayed legal secretary Della Street in the dramatic television series ''Perry Mason (1957 TV series), Perry Mason'' (1957–1966), earning her a 1959 Emmy Award ...

(1922–2017), American actress * Barbara Hamilton, 14th Baroness Dudley (1907–2002), British noblewoman * Barbara Hanley (1882–1959), Canadian politician * Barbara Harnack (born 1957), American ceramic and mixed media sculpture artist * Barbara Harris, various individuals with same or similar names * Barbara Haščáková (1979–2023), Slovak singer * Barbara R. Hatton, American academic administrator *

Barbara Hendricks Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American lyric soprano and humanitarian. Born in Arkansas, Hendricks studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Nebraska before becoming a singer. She gained acclaim for her operatic r ...

(born 1948), African-American operatic soprano * Barbara Hendricks (politician) (born 1952), German politician, Minister of Finance * Dame

Barbara Hepworth Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a leadin ...

(1903–1975), British artist and sculptor *

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including Wester ...

(born 1948), American actress * Barbara Hochstein, German–New Zealand radiologist * Barbara Howard (1920–2017), Canadian sprinter *

Barbara Hutton Barbara Woolworth Hutton (November 14, 1912 – May 11, 1979) 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 ...

(1912–1979), American heiress * Barbara Elisabeth van Houten (1863–1950), Dutch painter * Barbara Jackman (born 1950), Canadian lawyer * Barbara Janke (born 1947), British politician *

Barbara Jefford Barbara Mary Jefford, OBE (26 July 1930 – 12 September 2020) was a British actress, best known for her theatrical performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic and the National Theatre and her role as Molly Bloom in the 1967 ...

(1930–2020), British actress * Barbara Jelić-Ružić (born 1977), Croatian volleyball player * Barbara Nation, known as Barbara Jones, Jamaican singer * Barbara Jones (sprinter) (born 1937), American sprinter * Barbara S. Jones (born 1947), former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York *

Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American lawyer, educator, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first ...

(1936–1996), American politician * Barbara Jordan (poet) (born 1949), American poet *

Barbara Jordan (tennis) Barbara Jordan (born April 2, 1957) is an American former professional tennis player who won the 1979 Australian Open singles title. Jordan also won the mixed doubles title at the 1983 French Open with Eliot Teltscher. Jordan was a three-time ...

(born 1957), American tennis player * Barbara Joscelyne (born 1959), British Paralympian athlete * Barbara Kalik (born 1936), American politician * Barbara Karinska (1886–1983), Ukrainian costumer of the New York City Ballet * Barbara Karlich (born 1969), Austrian television presenter * Barbara Kavovit, American socialite * Barbara Kay (born 1943), Canadian columnist *

Barbara Keeley Barbara Mary Keeley, Baroness Keeley (born 26 March 1952), is a British Labour Party politician. She served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Worsley and Eccles South, previously Worsley, from 2005 to 2024, and has been a member of the House ...

(born 1952), British politician * Barbara Keiler, pen name Judith Arnold (born 1953), American writer *

Barbara Kellerman Barbara Rose Kellerman (originally spelt Kellermann; born 30 December 1949) is an English actress, known for her film and television roles. Early life Kellerman was born in Manchester, Lancashire. Her Jewish father, Walter Kellermann (1915� ...

(born 1949), British actress *

Barbara Kendall Barbara Anne Kendall (born 30 August 1967) is a former boardsailor from New Zealand. She competed at five Summer Olympic Games and won gold, silver and bronze medals. Biography Kendall was born in Papakura on 30 August 1967, the daughter o ...

(born 1967), boardsailor from New Zealand * Barbara B. Kennelly (born 1936), American politician * Barbara Kent (1907–2011), American actress *

Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Ellen Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her widely known works include '' The Poisonwood Bible'', the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and '' Animal, Vegetable, Mira ...

(born 1955), American novelist and essayist * Barbara Klerk (born 1989), Belgian figure skater *

Barbara Knox Barbara Knox (''née'' Brothwood, formerly Mullaney; born 30 September 1933) is an English actress, best known for her long-running portrayal of Rita Tanner in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She first appeared as Rita Littlewood fo ...

(born 1933), English actress * Barbora Kodetová (born 1970), Czech actress *

Barbara Kolb Barbara Kolb (February 10, 1938 – October 21, 2024) was an American composer and educator, the first woman to win the Rome Prize in musical composition. Her music features sound masses of colorful textures, impressionistic sounds and atonal vo ...

(1939–2024), American composer *

Barbara Kopple Barbara Kopple (born July 30, 1946) is an American film director known primarily for her documentary work. She is credited with pioneering a renaissance of cinema vérité, and bringing the historic French style to a modern American audience. S ...

(born 1946), American film director * Barbara Krauthamer (born 1967), American historian * Barbara La Marr (1896–1926), American actress * Barbara Lah (born 1972), Italian triple jumper *

Barbara Lea Barbara Lea (April 10, 1929 – December 26, 2011) was an American jazz singer. Music career Lea was born and raised in Detroit. Her father was a clarinetist before becoming attorney general of Michigan. He changed the family name from LeCocq t ...

(1929–2011), American actress and singer * Barbara Ledermann (born 1925), German-born American Holocaust survivor *

Barbara Lee Barbara Jean Lee (; born July 16, 1946) is an American politician who has served as the 52nd mayor of Oakland since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Lee previously served as a United States House of Repr ...

(born 1946), American politician *

Barbara Levick Barbara Mary Levick (21 June 1931 – 6 December 2023) was a British historian and epigrapher, focusing particularly on the Late Roman Republic and Early Empire. She was recognised within her field as one of the leading Roman historians of her ...

(1931–2023), British historian * Barbara Lezzi (born 1972), Italian politician *

Barbara Liskov Barbara Liskov (born November 7, 1939, as Barbara Jane Huberman) is an American computer scientist who has made pioneering contributions to programming languages and distributed computing. Her notable work includes the introduction of abstract da ...

(born 1939), American computer scientist, recipient of the Turing Award * Barbara Longhi (1552–1638), Italian painter *

Barbara de Loor Barbara de Loor (born 26 May 1974) is a Dutch retired speed skater who was specialised in the middle long and longer distances, over 1000 to 5000 meters. Biography In her junior years De Loor was 6th and 4th at the World Junior Speed Skating ...

(born 1974), Dutch speed skater * Barbara Lüdemann (1922–1992), German politician *

Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American retired country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful mus ...

(born 1948), American singer and musician * Barbara Joan March (born 1945), American criminal * Barbara Masini (born 1974), Italian politician *

Barbara Matera (politician) Barbara Matera (born 9 December 1981) is an Italian television announcer, actress and Member of the European Parliament for the centre-right People of Freedom party. Biography Barbara Matera was born on 9 December 1981 in Lucera in Italy. She ...

(born 1981), Italian politician * Barbara Matera (costume designer) (1929–2001), British-born American costume and clothing designer * Barbara McAlister, various individuals with the same or similar names * Barbara McCauley (born 1951), American romance writer *

Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902 – September 2, 1992) was an American scientist and cytogenetics, cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University ...

(1902–1992), American scientist *

Barbara McNair Barbara Jean McNair (March 4, 1934 – February 4, 2007) was an American singer and theater, television, and film actress. McNair's career spanned over five decades in television, film, and stage. McNair's professional career began in music dur ...

(1934–2007), American singer and actress * Barbara Mensing (born 1960), German archer *

Barbara Mikulski Barbara Ann Mikulski ( ; born July 20, 1936) is an American politician and social worker who served as a United States senator from Maryland from 1987 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she also served i ...

(born 1936), American politician * Barbara Mitcalfe (1928–2017), New Zealand conservationist, botanist and educator * Barbara Moore, various individuals with the same or similar names * Barbara Nedeljáková (born 1979), Slovak actress *

Barbara Nichols Barbara Marie Nickerauer (December 10, 1928 – October 5, 1976), known professionally as Barbara Nichols, was an American actress who often played brassy or comic roles in films in the 1950s and 1960s. Early life and career Nichols was ...

(1928–1976), American actress and sex symbol *

Barbara Niedernhuber Barbara Niedernhuber (nicknamed Babsi, born 6 June 1974 in Berchtesgaden) is a German luger who competed from 1994 to 2006. She won two silver medals in the women's singles event at the Winter Olympics (1998 (she was beaten by 2 thousandths of a ...

(born 1974), German luger * Barbara Oddone (born 1970), Italian tennis player * Barbara O'Neal, American novelist *

Barbara O'Neil Barbara O'Neil (July 17, 1910 – September 3, 1980) was an American film and stage actress. She appeared in the film ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in '' ...

(1910–1980), American actress *

Barbara O'Shea Barbara O'Shea (born 13 March 1963) is an Irish-Australian politician and doctor. She was elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Electoral district of South Brisbane, South Brisbane representing the Queensland Labor Party, L ...

(born 1963), Australian politician * Bárbara Palacios (born 1963), Venezuelan beauty queen *

Barbara Palvin Barbara Sprouse (née Palvin; born 8 October 1993)Palvin Barbara's Hungarian biogr ...

(born 1993), Hungarian model * Barbara Patton (born 1944), New York politician and university professor *

Barbara Paulus Barbara Paulus (born 1 September 1970) is a former professional tennis player from Austria. She began playing on the WTA Tour in 1986 and retired in 2001. During her career, she won a total of seven WTA tournaments (six singles titles, one double ...

(born 1970), Austrian tennis player * Barbara Pennington (1954–2023), American music artist * Barbara Peterson (born 1953), American philanthropist and former beauty pageant titleholder * Barbara Piwnik (born 1955), Polish judge and politician * Barbara Poma, founder of the Pulse nightclub, which experienced a

mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...

on June 12, 2016. *

Barbara Pompili Barbara Pompili (; born 13 June 1975) is a French politician who served as Minister of the Ecological Transition under Prime Minister Jean Castex from 2020 to 2022. Pompili has previously served as member of the National Assembly for the 2nd c ...

(born 1975), French politician *

Barbara Potter Barbara Potter (born October 22, 1961) is a former tennis player from the United States, who competed professionally on the WTA Tour between 1978 and 1989, winning six singles titles and 19 doubles titles. Her highest singles ranking was No. 7 ...

(born 1961), Barbara Jordan's American compatriot and tennis player *

Barbara Pravi Barbara Piévic (born 10 April 1993), known professionally as Barbara Pravi, is a French singer, songwriter, and actress. She represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "", securing second place, the best result for Fr ...

(born 1993), French singer * Barbara Rafferty (born 1950), Scottish actress * Barbara Randolph (1942–2002), American soul singer *

Barbara Radziwiłł Barbara Radziwiłł (, ; 6 December 1520/23 – 8 May 1551) was List of Polish royal consorts, Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as consort of Sigismund II Augustus, the last male monarch of the Jagiellon dynasty. Barbara, a great b ...

(1520–1551), Queen of Poland *

Barbara Rittner Barbara Rittner (born 25 April 1973) is a German former professional tennis player. She currently is the captain of the German Fed Cup team. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 24 in the world, achieved on 1 February 1993. As a junior, s ...

(born 1973), German tennis player * Barbara Riveros Diaz (born 1987), Chilean triathlete * Barbara "Dusty" Roads (born 1928), labor activist and flight attendant *

Barbara Roche Barbara Maureen Roche (; born 13 April 1954) is a British Labour politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hornsey and Wood Green from 1992 until 2005, when she lost her seat to the Liberal Democrats, despite having enjoyed a maj ...

(born 1954), British politician * Barbara Rokowska (1926–2012), Polish mathematician *

Barbara Romagnan Barbara Romagnan is a teacher and a French politician who was a member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party since 1995. She later joined the 1 July Movement. Biography Barbara Romagnan was born 25 April 1974 in the city of Annecy ...

(born 1974), French politician and teacher * Barbara Ann Rowan (1938–2020), American attorney *

Barbara Rudnik Barbara Rudnik (; 27 July 1958 – 23 May 2009) was a German actress. Selected filmography External links * 1958 births 2009 deaths German film actresses German television actresses 20th-century German actresses 21st-century ...

(1958–2009), German actress * Barbara Sadleder (born 1967), Austrian alpine skier * Dame

Barbara Salt Dame Barbara Salt, (30 September 1904 – 28 December 1975) was a British diplomat. Salt was born in Oroville, California to Reginald Salt, an English banker and his wife, Maud, who returned to England not long after her birth. She was the gra ...

(1904–1975), British diplomat * Barbara Schack (1873/4–1958), Sudeten German politician *

Barbara Schett Barbara Schett Eagle (; born 10 March 1976) is an Austrian former professional tennis player, who reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 7 in September 1999. Between 1993 and 2004 she played in 48 matches for the Austria Fed Cup team, ...

(born 1976), Austrian tennis player *

Barbara Schöneberger Barbara von Schierstädt (, ; born 5 March 1974) is a German television presenter, entertainer, actress and singer. Early life Schöneberger is the only child of clarinet player Hans Schöneberger and his wife Annemarie. She studied sociology, ...

(born 1974), German entertainer * Barbara Schwartz (disambiguation), several people *

Barbara Seidenath Barbara Seidenath (born 1960) is a German Americans, German-born American Jewellery design, jewelry designer, metalsmith, and educator. Biography Barbara Seidenath was born in 1960 in Bavaria, near Munich, Germany. Her father worked in forestry ...

(born 1960), American metalsmith and jeweler *

Barbara Schmid-Federer Barbara Schmid-Federer (born 10 November 1965) is a Swiss politician, educator, and philanthropist. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland, she was elected to a seat in the National Council in 2007, serving until 2018 ...

(born 1965), Swiss politician *

Barbara Seal Barbara Seal is a former judge from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Seal has been involved in a number of community organisations and foundations, serving in both leadership and advisory roles. Seal was appointed as judge of Canada's citizenship court i ...

, Canadian former judge from Montreal, Quebec. *

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

(1907–1990), American actress * Barbara Steel (1857–1942), Scottish-South African suffragette *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

(born 1942), American singer and film and theatre actress *

Barbara Strozzi Barbara Strozzi (also called Barbara Valle; baptised 6 August 1619 – 11 November 1677) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque Period. During her lifetime, Strozzi published eight volumes of her own music, and had more secular ...

(1619–1677), Italian Baroque singer and composer * Barbara Sturgeon, British broadcaster * Barbara Sukowa (born 1950), German actress * Barbara Thaler (born 1982), Austrian politician * Barbara Thenn (1519–1579) Austrian merchant and Münzmeister * Barbara Traub, American photographer * Barbara Tudek (1952–2019), biologist, professor who served as president of the Polish section of the European Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society * Barbara "Basia" Trzetrzelewska (born 1954), Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist * Barbara Vernon (activist), Australian maternity activist and government lobbyist *

Barbara Vernon (writer) Barbara Mary Vernon (25 July 1916 – 16 April 1978) was an Australian playwright, screenwriter, editor and radio announcer. Her plays included '' The Passionate Pianist'' and ''The Multi-Coloured Umbrella''. She was the head writer and ...

(1916–1978), Australian playwright and screenwriter * Barbara Voss (born 1967), American historical archaeologist * Barbara Wagner (born 1938), Canadian figure skater *

Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (September 25, 1929December 30, 2022) was an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, she appeared as a host of numerous television programs, ...

(1929–2022), American journalist * Dame Barbara Ward, Lady Jackson, British economist and writer * Barbara Wasinger (born 1958), American politician * Barbara Webster-Bourne, Anguillian Speaker of the National Assembly * Dame

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.

(1937–2020), English comedy and soap opera actress *

Barbara Alyn Woods Barbara Alyn Woods is an American actress. She is known for her roles in television series '' One Tree Hill'' and ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids''. She is the mother of actresses Natalie Alyn Lind, Emily Alyn Lind, and Alyvia Alyn Lind. Career Woo ...

(born 1962), American actress * Barbara Woodward (born 1961), British diplomat * Barbara Wylie (1861–1954), British suffragette * Barbara Yeaman (1924–2025), American conservationist * Barbara Yelin (born 1977), German cartoonist *

Barbara Yorke Barbara Yorke FRHistS FSA (born 1951, Barbara Anne Elizabeth Troubridge) is a historian of Anglo-Saxon England, specialising in many subtopics, including 19th-century Anglo-Saxonism. She is currently emeritus professor of early Medieval histo ...

(born 1951), British historian * Barbara Young, various individuals with the same or similar names *

Barbara Yung Barbara Yung Mei-ling (, 7 May 1959 – 14 May 1985) was a famous Hong Kong actress during the early 1980s. Yung died of suicide by gas inhalation at the age of 26, during the peak of her career. Her most popular acting role was Huang Rong in ...

(1959–1985), Hong Kong actress * Barbara Zdunk (1769–1811), Polish alleged arsonist

Fictional characters with the given name Barbara (or variants)

* Barbara, a character in 2020 video game ''

Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by MiHoYo, MiHoYo/HoYoverse. The game features an anime-style open world environment and an action-based Role-playing battle systems, battle system using Classical element, element ...

'' * Barbara Barrows,

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Sissy Spacek, numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including ...

's character in HBO television film '' If These Walls Could Talk'' * Barbara Fitts, in ''American Beauty'' * Barbara Goodwin, a character in the American sitcom television series ''

The Hogan Family ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family: The Hogans'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of si ...

'' * Barbara Gordon, also known as

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...

, in

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

* Barbara "Barb" Holland, in ''

Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American television series created by the Duffer brothers, Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the Stranger Things season 1, first season was released on N ...

'' * Barbara Lee in ''

The Life and Times of Juniper Lee ''The Life and Times of Juniper Lee'' is an American animated television series created by former MTV reality star Judd Winick for Cartoon Network and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. It premiered May 30, 2005, on Cartoon Network and ended ...

'' * Barbara Maitland, in ''

Beetlejuice ''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...

'' * Barbara "Barbie" Roberts, the name of famous Mattel doll * Barbara Rose, in '' The War of the Roses''

References

{{given name, Barbara, nocat Dutch feminine given names English feminine given names Feminine given names French feminine given names German feminine given names Given names of Greek language origin Given names Greek feminine given names Hungarian feminine given names Italian feminine given names Polish feminine given names Slovene feminine given names Croatian feminine given names Swiss feminine given names English-language feminine given names