Given name & surname
Varvara
“a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger”·“foreign woman”
Varvara is a 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 Slavic use, Varvara carries the interpretation “a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger.” Varvara is a form of Barbara. Interpretations include “foreign woman” and “a traveler from a foreign land; a stranger” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Slavic.
How it developed
In Russian use, Varvara is used as a form of Barbara.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1975. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Varvara through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 192
- 0 boys · 192 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 17 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #10,854 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 10,854 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 17 in 2016. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 592 as a first name in 2020; 133 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.
Varvara’s family of names
Varvara has an affectionate form in Varya. Varvara shares a linguistic root with Barbara. In Finnish usage, Varvara has a conventional equivalent in the German form Borbora.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Varvara has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Slavic roots to each of them.
4 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Varyavariant
- Vavavariant
- Vavarahvariant
- Vavaravariant
- Vavkavariant
- Varushkavariant
- Varyushavariant
- Varinkavariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
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 Varvara
- Varvara LepchenkoUkrainian-American tennis playerborn 1986
- Varvara StepanovaRussian artist (1894-1958)
- Varvara GrachevaRussian and French tennis playerborn 2000
- BarbaraRussian Orthodox saint1880–1918
- Varvara FlinkRussian tennis playerborn 1996
- Varvara YakovlevaRussian bolshevik politician (1885–1941)1884–1941
- Varvara BaryshevaRussian speed skaterborn 1977
- Varvara MyasnikovaSoviet actress of theater and cinema (1900–1978)
- Varvara RudnevaRussian physician (1844–1899)1841–1892
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Varvara, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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