Given name & surname
Barb
“foreign woman”·“a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger”
In English use, Barb is a diminutive 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, Barb is a diminutive 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, Barb is a diminutive of Barbara. An origin associated with Barbara is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Barb is a diminutive of Barbara. In German usage, Barb is a short form of Barbara.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1938. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Barb through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,853
- 0 boys · 3,853 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 493 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 9 in 1972. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 493 in 1960. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 11,289 as a first name in 2020; 1,655 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Barb’s family of names
In English usage, Barb is a diminutive of Barbara. In English usage, Barb has a conventional equivalent in the Polish form Basieńka. Barb is a short form of Barbara.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Barb 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.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Barb
Characters named Barb: Barb Wire (comics character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Barb, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
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“a brokenhearted or raging woman”
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“God is gracious”
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Peri is a surname. It is used in English and Finnish.
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Terri
“a harvester” · “learned”
>99% girls