Barbara ( given name ) - wikipedia Barbara ( given name ) Barbara Pronunciation / ˈbɑːrbərə / BAR - bər - ə Gender Female Language ( s ) Greek Name day December 4 Origin Meaning `` strange or foreign '' Other names See also Barbra, Babs, Barbie, Barby, Barb Look up Barbara or barbara in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Barbara is a female given name used in numerous languages. It is the feminine form of the Greek word barbaros ( Greek : βάρβαρος ) meaning strange or foreign. In Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox tradition, Saint Barbara was martyred by her father, who was then punished with death by lightning. As such, St. Barbara is a protectress against fire and lightning. Today, Barbara remains among the top 100 most popular names for female babies born in Chile, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. It is among the top 10 names given to baby girls born in both the Czech Republic and Georgia in 2012. The Russian variant Varvara is also returning to popularity in former Soviet republics such as Estonia, where it ranked among the top names for girls in 2012, and in Russia, where it was the eighth most popular name for girls born in 2013 in Moscow. Its popularity in the United States has declined from third place, in the 1930s, to 838th place, in 2013, when it was used for 310 newborn American girls. The Russian form of the name, Varvara, was given to just 11 American girls in 2013. In Italy Barbara was particularly popular during the 1970s : it is 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 and in Bologna. Contents 1 Variants 2 People named Barbara ( or variants ) 3 People with the given name Barbara ( or variants ) 4 See also 5 References Variants Babara ( Hawaiian ) Babbie ( English ) Babette ( French ) Baiba ( Latvian ) Baibín ( Irish Gaelic ) Bairbre ( Irish Gaelic ) Bára ( Czech ) Bärbel ( German ) Barabal ( Scottish Gaelic ) Barb ( English ) Barba ( Faroese ) Bàrbara ( Catalan ) Bárbara ( Galician, Portuguese, Spanish ) Barbara ( Croatian, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Slovene ) Barbare ( Georgian ) Barbary ( English ) Barbera ( Italian, old Florentine variant ) Barbie ( English ) Barby ( English ) Barbora ( Czech, Lithuanian, Slovak ) Barbra ( English ), considered `` close to extinction '' in the United States as of 2013. Barbro ( Swedish ) Basia ( Polish ) Baśka ( Polish ) Basieńka ( Polish ) Barča ( Czech ) Berber ( West Frisian ) Borbála ( Hungarian ) Varvara ( disambiguation ) ( Bulgarian, Greek ) Βαρβάρα ( Varvara ), ( Greek ) Варвара ( Varvara ), ( Russian, Ukrainian ) Варя ( Varya ), ( Russian, Ukrainian hypocorism ) Barunka ( Czech ) Baruška ( Czech ) Barbuš, Baruš ( Czech ) Barborka ( Slovak ), ( Czech ) People named Barbara ( or variants ) Saint Barbara, early Christian martyr Barbara ( singer ) ( 1930 -- 1997 ), stage name of Monique Andrée Serf, French singer Bárbara Micheline do Monte Barbosa ( born 1988 ), known as Bárbara, Brazilian footballer Barbara of Cilli ( 1392 -- 1451 ), Queen of Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, Empress of Holy Roman Empire Barbara of Hesse ( 1536 -- 1597 ), Duchess of Württemberg - Mömpelgard Barbara of Austria ( 1539 -- 1572 ), Duchess of Ferrara Barbara of Brandenburg ( 1464 -- 1515 ), Queen consort of Bohemia and Hungary Barbara of Portugal ( 1711 -- 1758 ), Queen Consort of Spain People with the given name Barbara ( or variants ) Barbara Abart ( born 1985 ), Italian luger Barbara Acklin ( 1943 -- 1998 ), American soul singer Barbara Adams ( attorney ) ( born 1951 ), Pennsylvania politician Barbara Adams ( Egyptologist ) ( 1945 -- 2002 ), British egyptologist Barbra Amesbury ( born 1948 ), formerly Bill Amesbury, Canadian singer - songwriter, composer and filmmaker Barbara Avedon ( 1925 -- 1994 ), television writer Barbara Bach, American actress Barbara Bates ( 1925 -- 1969 ), American actress Barbara Bain ( born 1931 ), American actress Barbara Bates ( 1928 -- 2003 ), American physician, author and historian Barbara Berlusconi ( born 1984 ), Italian business executive Barbara Bestor, American architect based in Los Angeles Barbara Boxer, U.S. Senator from California Barbara Bush ( 1925 -- 2018 ), First Lady of the United States ( 1989 -- 1993 ) Barbara Calder ( 1924 -- 2018 ), British yachtswoman Barbara Castle ( 1910 -- 2002 ), British politician Barbara Corcoran ( born 1949 ), American entrepreneur Barbara Dex ( born 1974 ), Belgian singer Barbara Dunkelman ( born 1988 ), Canadian - born actress for Rooster Teeth Barbara Eden ( born 1931 ), American actress Barbro Eriksdotter ( Bielke ), Swedish noble Barbara Feldon ( born 1933 ), American actress Barbara Figueroa, American chef Barbara Frittoli ( born 1967 ), Italian opera singer 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 Barbara Gordon ( filmmaker ), American documentary filmmaker and author Barbara Hale ( ? - 2017 ), American actress Barbara Harris ( actress ) ( 1935 -- 2018 ), American actress Barbara Hendricks ( born 1948 ), African - American operatic soprano Barbara Hendricks ( politician ) ( born 1952 ), German politician, Minister of Finance Barbara Hershey ( born 1948 ), American actress Barbara Elisabeth van Houten ( 1863 -- 1950 ), Dutch painter Barbara Jelić - Ružić ( born 1977 ), Croatian volleyball player Barbara Jordan ( 1936 -- 1996 ), American politician Barbara Jordan ( poet ) ( born 1949 ), American poet Barbara Jordan ( tennis ) ( born 1957 ), American tennis player Barbara Karinska ( 1886 -- 1983 ), Ukrainian costumer of the New York City Ballet Barbara Kay ( born 1943 ), Canadian columnist Barbara Keeley ( born 1952 ), British politician Barbara Keiler, pen name Judith Arnold ( born 1953 ), American writer Barbara Kellerman ( born 1949 ), British actress Barbara Kent ( 1907 -- 2011 ), American actress Barbara Klerk ( born 1989 ), Belgian figure skater Barbora Kodetová ( born 1970 ), Czech actress Barbara Kolb ( born 1939 ), American composer Barbara Kopple ( born 1946 ), American film director Barbara La Marr ( 1896 -- 1926 ), American actress Barbara Lah ( born 1972 ), Italian triple jumper Barbara Lea ( 1929 -- 2011 ), American actress and singer Barbara Lee ( born 1946 ), American politician Barbara Levick ( born 1932 ), British historian Barbara Longhi ( 1552 -- 1638 ), Italian painter Barbara de Loor ( born 1974 ), Dutch speed skater Barbara Mandrell, ( born 1948 ), American singer and musician Barbara McAlister, American diver Barbara McCauley, American romance writer Barbara McClintock ( 1902 -- 1992 ), American scientist Barbara McNair ( 1934 -- 2007 ), American singer and actress Barbara Mensing ( born 1960 ), German archer Barbara Moore ( born 1957 ), New Zealand long - distance runner Barbara Nedeljáková ( born 1979 ), Slovak actress Barbara Nichols ( 1928 -- 1976 ), American actress and sex symbol Barbara Niedernhuber ( born 1974 ), German luger Barbara O'Neil ( 1910 -- 1980 ), American actress Bárbara Palacios ( born 1963 ), Venezuelan beauty queen Barbara Palvin ( born 1993 ), Hungarian model Barbara Patton ( born 1944 ), New York politician and university professor Barbara Paulus ( born 1970 ), Austrian tennis player Barbara Pennington ( born 1950s ), American music artist Barbara Pierce Bush ( born 1981 ), daughter of the U.S. President George W. Bush Barbara Piwnik ( born 1955 ), Polish judge and politician Barbara Pompili ( born 1975 ), French politician Barbara Potter ( born 1961 ), Jordan 's American compatriot and tennis player Barbara Rafferty ( born 1954 ), Scottish actress Barbara Randolph ( 1942 -- 2002 ), American soul singer Barbara Radziwiłł ( 1520 -- 1551 ), Queen of Poland Barbara Rittner ( born 1973 ), German tennis player Barbara Riveros Diaz, Chilean triathlete Barbara Schett ( born 1976 ), Austrian tennis player Barbara Schwartz ( disambiguation ), several people Barbara Snellenburg ( born 1975 ), Dutch model and actress Barbara Stanwyck ( 1907 -- 1990 ), American actress Barbra Streisand ( born 1942 ), American singer and film and theatre actress Barbara Strozzi ( 1619 -- 1677 ), Italian Baroque singer and composer Barbara Sturgeon, British broadcaster Barbara Sukowa ( born 1950 ), German actress Barbara Traub, American photographer Barbara Wagner ( born 1938 ), Canadian figure skater Barbara Walters ( born 1929 ), American journalist Barbara Ward, British economist and writer Barbara Webster - Bourne, Anguillian Speaker of the National Assembly Barbara Windsor ( born 1937 ), British comedy and soap opera actress Barbara Zdunk ( 1769 -- 1811 ), Polish alleged arsonist See also Varvara ( disambiguation ) All pages beginning with Barbara ( given name ) References Jump up ^ `` 100 najpopularniejszych imion dla dzieci w 2009 roku ''. Gazetaprawna.pl. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ Mike Campbell. `` Popularity for Barbara ''. Behind the Name. Retrieved 2012 - 07 - 16. Jump up ^ http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi Jump up ^ Cfr. Alda Rossebastiano - Elena Papa, I nomi di persona in Italia : dizionario storico ed etimologico, Torino, UTET, 2005 ( in italian ). Jump up ^ 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 ). Jump up ^ `` Baby Names on the Verge of Extinction ''. Yahoo ! Parenting. Dec 26, 2015. Retrieved Jan 3, 2016. Name list This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barbara_(given_name)&oldid=862913124 '' Categories : Italian feminine given names English feminine given names German feminine given names Slovene feminine given names French feminine given names Polish feminine given names Dutch feminine given names Hungarian feminine given names Swiss feminine given names Given names of Greek language origin Given names Hidden categories : Articles containing Greek - language text Articles with short description All set index articles Talk Variants Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская Boarisch Brezhoneg Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Esperanto Français Íslenska Italiano Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Suomi Svenska 13 more Edit links This page was last edited on 7 October 2018, at 14 : 33 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the meaning of the name barbara
Answer: strange or foreign