Barbara, sometimes spelt Barbra, is a female given name used in numerous languages. It is the feminine form of the Greek word barbaros (Greek: βαρβαρος) meaning "foreign" (see Barbarian). 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. Other saints of this name include Barbara Avrillot (Barbe Aurillot, known as Marie of the Incarnation) and Barbara Koob (Marianne Cope).
Today, Barbara remains among the top 100 most popular names for female babies born in Hungary, Chile, and Slovenia. Its popularity in the United States has declined from third place, in the 1930s, to 633rd place, in 2007.[1]
Variants
People with the given name Barbara
- Barbara Abart, an Italian luger
- Barbara Acklin, an American soul singer
- Barbara Adams, a British egyptologist
- Barbra Amesbury, formerly Bill Amesbury, Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker
- Barbara Bush, First Lady of the United States
- Barbara of Celje, Queen of Hungary, Germany & Bohemia, Empress of Holy Roman Empire
- Barbara Hershey, an American actress
- Barbara Karinska, Ukraine costumer of the New York City Ballet
- Barbara Kay, a Canadian columnist
- Barbara Keeley, a British politician
- Barbara Keiler, birth name of American author Judith Arnold
- Barbara Kellerman, a British actress
- Barbara Kent, an American actress
- Barbara Klerk, a Belgian figure skater
- Barbara Kodetová, a Czech actress
- Barbara Kolb, an American composer
- Barbara Kopple, an American film director
- Barbara La Marr, an American actress
- Barbara Lah, an Italian triple jumper
- Barbara Lea, an American actress and singer
- Barbara Lee, an American politician
- Barbara Levick, a British historians
- Barbara McAlister, an American diver
- Barbara McCauley, an American romance writer
- Barbara Mensing, a German archer
- Barbara Nedeljáková, a Slovak actress
- Barbara Nichols, an American actress and sex symbol
- Barbara Niedernhuber, a German luger
- Barbara O'Neil, an American actress
- Bárbara Palacios, a Venezuelan beauty queen
- Barbara Pennington, an American music artist
- Barbara Rafferty, a Scottish actress
- Barbara Schett, an Austrian tennis player
- Barbara Stanwyck, an American actress
- Barbra Streisand, American singer and film and theatre actress
- Barbara Strozzi, an Italian Baroque singer and composer
- Barbara Sukowa, a German actress
- Barbara Traub, an American photographer
- Barbara Wagner, a Canadian figure skater
- Barbara Walters, an American journalist
- Barbara Ward, a British economist and writer
- Barbara Windsor, a British comedy and soap opera actress
Songs about Barbara
References
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