Barbara
/ˈbɑːr.bə.rə/noun
A female given name from Latin, ultimately associated with the Greek word for a foreign woman or outsider.
Did you know?Barbara is linked to Greek bárbaros, originally a word for someone whose speech sounded like “bar-bar” to Greek ears, and it later became the source of words like barbarian.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
βάρβαρος (bárbaros)
“Foreign, non-Greek; someone whose speech sounded unintelligible to Greek speakers.”
Classical Latin
Lat
barbarus
“Foreign, uncivilized, or barbaric.”
Late Latin
Lat
Barbara
“A feminine personal name derived from barbarus.”
Early Christian era
Lat
Saint Barbara
“The name spread widely through veneration of the legendary saint.”
Middle English
Eng
Barbara
“A female given name adopted into English usage.”
Modern English
Eng
Barbara
“A common female given name.”