Given name
Babs
“foreign woman”·“a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger”
In English use, Babs is an affectionate form of Barbara. Interpretations include “foreign woman” and “a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Babs is an affectionate form of Barbara. Interpretations include “foreign woman” and “a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Babs is an affectionate form of Barbara. An origin associated with Barbara is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Babs is a diminutive of Barbara.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1927. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Babs through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 285
- 0 boys · 285 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 19 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 1963. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 19 in 1961. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 312 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Babs’s family of names
In English usage, Babs is a diminutive of Barbara. In Dutch usage, Babs has a conventional equivalent in the English form Barbie. Babs is an affectionate form of Barbara.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Babs has relatives in 4 languages.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Babs, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“God is gracious”
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“son of grace”
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“from the place of healing and miracles”
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