Barbara was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #2 in 1937 but is far less common today.
Barbara is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #968 for girl births in the United States (and #1,848 across all names), given to 264 babies. Barbara first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1947 (48,800 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264 | 264 | #968 | — |
| 2024 | 317 | 317 | #853 | — |
| 2023 | 308 | 308 | #871 | — |
| 2022 | 276 | 276 | #967 | — |
| 2021 | 299 | 299 | #904 | — |
| 2020 | 301 | 301 | #886 | — |
| 2019 | 287 | 287 | #922 | — |
| 2018 | 291 | 291 | #921 | — |
| 2017 | 303 | 308 | #890 | — |
| 2016 | 329 | 329 | #856 | — |
| 2015 | 329 | 329 | #850 | — |
| 2014 | 326 | 326 | #848 | — |
| 2013 | 321 | 321 | #831 | — |
| 2012 | 296 | 301 | #894 | — |
| 2011 | 369 | 369 | #746 | — |
| 2010 | 412 | 420 | #692 | — |
| 2009 | 465 | 473 | #639 | — |
| 2008 | 397 | 407 | #747 | — |
| 2007 | 482 | 497 | #618 | — |
| 2006 | 554 | 569 | #538 | — |
| 2005 | 412 | 418 | #674 | — |
| 2004 | 438 | 446 | #623 | — |
| 2003 | 437 | 455 | #614 | — |
| 2002 | 509 | 522 | #541 | — |
| 2001 | 502 | 520 | #533 | — |
| 2000 | 534 | 562 | #505 | — |
| 1999 | 563 | 590 | #468 | — |
| 1998 | 579 | 609 | #447 | — |
| 1997 | 700 | — | #378 | — |
| 1996 | 682 | — | #388 | — |
| 1995 | 758 | — | #347 | — |
| 1994 | 871 | — | #312 | — |
| 1993 | 956 | — | #291 | #8,819 |
| 1992 | 1,135 | — | #247 | #6,729 |
| 1991 | 1,248 | — | #229 | #5,557 |
| 1990 | 1,393 | — | #207 | #8,229 |
| 1989 | 1,504 | — | #186 | #4,550 |
| 1988 | 1,514 | — | #185 | #4,818 |
| 1987 | 1,641 | — | #172 | #4,600 |
| 1986 | 1,496 | — | #180 | #4,890 |
| 1985 | 1,688 | — | #169 | #3,820 |
| 1984 | 1,885 | — | #152 | #2,621 |
| 1983 | 2,029 | — | #143 | #4,161 |
| 1982 | 2,359 | — | #130 | #3,708 |
| 1981 | 2,545 | — | #119 | #3,044 |
| 1980 | 2,591 | — | #120 | #3,275 |
| 1979 | 2,508 | — | #123 | #2,916 |
| 1978 | 2,587 | — | #113 | #4,184 |
| 1977 | 2,861 | — | #101 | #2,670 |
| 1976 | 2,977 | — | #98 | #3,744 |
| 1975 | 3,472 | — | #83 | #2,369 |
| 1974 | 3,918 | — | #77 | #2,962 |
| 1973 | 4,444 | — | #63 | #3,033 |
| 1972 | 5,102 | — | #58 | #1,934 |
| 1971 | 6,480 | — | #47 | #1,709 |
| 1970 | 8,050 | — | #41 | #1,799 |
| 1969 | 8,842 | — | #39 | #1,443 |
| 1968 | 9,774 | — | #36 | #1,315 |
| 1967 | 11,246 | — | #33 | #1,133 |
| 1966 | 13,168 | — | #27 | #1,100 |
| 1965 | 14,065 | — | #25 | #1,164 |
| 1964 | 16,530 | — | #19 | #1,083 |
| 1963 | 18,359 | — | #17 | #937 |
| 1962 | 20,717 | — | #14 | #872 |
| 1961 | 23,058 | — | #12 | #1,042 |
| 1960 | 24,517 | — | #12 | #952 |
| 1959 | 25,427 | — | #11 | #928 |
| 1958 | 27,933 | — | #9 | #994 |
| 1957 | 29,760 | — | #9 | #919 |
| 1956 | 32,377 | — | #9 | #866 |
| 1955 | 33,697 | — | #7 | #819 |
| 1954 | 36,425 | — | #7 | #985 |
| 1953 | 38,545 | — | #6 | #848 |
| 1952 | 39,938 | — | #6 | #814 |
| 1951 | 40,687 | — | #5 | #838 |
| 1950 | 41,626 | — | #4 | #814 |
| 1949 | 42,667 | — | #4 | #836 |
| 1948 | 46,902 | — | #3 | #783 |
| 1947 | 48,889 | — | #4 | #727 |
| 1946 | 45,235 | — | #4 | #615 |
| 1945 | 38,360 | — | #3 | #649 |
| 1944 | 39,317 | — | #2 | #549 |
| 1943 | 43,582 | — | #2 | #506 |
| 1942 | 44,903 | — | #2 | #478 |
| 1941 | 39,698 | — | #2 | #473 |
| 1940 | 36,876 | — | #2 | #489 |
| 1939 | 37,407 | — | #2 | #468 |
| 1938 | 39,439 | — | #2 | #454 |
| 1937 | 35,061 | — | #2 | #468 |
| 1936 | 31,792 | — | #3 | #547 |
| 1935 | 30,822 | — | #3 | #517 |
| 1934 | 29,357 | — | #3 | #543 |
| 1933 | 27,068 | — | #3 | #519 |
| 1932 | 26,421 | — | #3 | #583 |
| 1931 | 21,888 | — | #4 | #650 |
| 1930 | 18,353 | — | #6 | #739 |
| 1929 | 16,101 | — | #7 | #817 |
| 1928 | 14,916 | — | #8 | #1,041 |
| 1927 | 13,202 | — | #10 | #1,113 |
| 1926 | 11,114 | — | #16 | #1,222 |
| 1925 | 9,181 | — | #22 | #1,454 |
| 1924 | 8,317 | — | #28 | #2,482 |
| 1923 | 7,219 | — | #33 | #2,781 |
| 1922 | 6,282 | — | #40 | #2,816 |
| 1921 | 6,024 | — | #40 | #2,646 |
| 1920 | 5,115 | — | #47 | #2,984 |
| 1919 | 4,091 | — | #60 | #3,424 |
| 1918 | 4,231 | — | #60 | #3,394 |
| 1917 | 3,541 | — | #67 | #3,586 |
| 1916 | 3,117 | — | #74 | #3,947 |
| 1915 | 2,704 | — | #83 | — |
| 1914 | 2,061 | — | #82 | — |
| 1913 | 1,458 | — | #94 | #2,293 |
| 1912 | 1,184 | — | #102 | — |
| 1911 | 737 | — | #119 | — |
| 1910 | 612 | — | #136 | — |
| 1909 | 567 | — | #126 | — |
| 1908 | 514 | — | #135 | — |
| 1907 | 515 | — | #129 | — |
| 1906 | 413 | — | #142 | — |
| 1905 | 366 | — | #154 | — |
| 1904 | 357 | — | #151 | — |
| 1903 | 346 | — | #151 | — |
| 1902 | 306 | — | #163 | — |
| 1901 | 277 | — | #164 | — |
| 1900 | 338 | — | #162 | — |
| 1899 | 273 | — | #165 | — |
| 1898 | 304 | — | #164 | — |
| 1897 | 299 | — | #153 | — |
| 1896 | 324 | — | #145 | — |
| 1895 | 298 | — | #150 | — |
| 1894 | 290 | — | #151 | — |
| 1893 | 255 | — | #155 | — |
| 1892 | 278 | — | #147 | — |
| 1891 | 221 | — | #152 | — |
| 1890 | 241 | — | #147 | — |
| 1889 | 246 | — | #140 | — |
| 1888 | 253 | — | #135 | — |
| 1887 | 204 | — | #132 | — |
| 1886 | 207 | — | #133 | — |
| 1885 | 195 | — | #129 | — |
| 1884 | 193 | — | #128 | — |
| 1883 | 135 | — | #142 | — |
| 1882 | 130 | — | #138 | — |
| 1881 | 130 | — | #124 | — |
| 1880 | 127 | — | #128 | — |