Girl name
Barbara name meaning
“foreign woman; woman speaking another language”
Barbara means “foreign woman” or “woman speaking another language.” It derives from the feminine form of Greek bárbaros and spread through Latin and other European languages. Used for girls in Türkiye, it has a historical association with composer Barbara Strozzi and her surviving vocal music.
What does Barbara mean?
Foreign woman; woman speaking another language
In Turkish: yabancı; başka dil konuşan kadın
Barbara is a feminine name developed from an ancient Greek word marking linguistic difference. The tradition of Saint Barbara played an important role in its European history; later negative associations of the related common word should not be treated as a description of the modern name or its bearer.
The ending “-ra” is a shared final sound rather than a meaningful suffix in Zehra, Azra and Esra. Their meanings come from the whole name, not the final two letters. More girl names ending in -ra →
Origin of the name Barbara
Barbara derives from the feminine form of Greek bárbaros, originally referring to a foreigner or someone who did not speak Greek. It spread through Latin and numerous European languages.
| Linguistic origin | Greek, Latin, European languages |
|---|---|
| Is Barbara in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | B · Ba |
Double names with Barbara
Double-name ideas built from names in our dictionary, with the meaning of each name.
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Barbara Şebnem
Meaning of each name
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
- Şebnem: dew forming in the night
-
Mahinur Barbara
Meaning of each name
- Mahinur: moonlight, the moon's radiance
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
-
Barbara Zozan
Meaning of each name
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
- Zozan: highland pasture, summer grazing land
-
Zozan Barbara
Meaning of each name
- Zozan: highland pasture, summer grazing land
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
-
Barbara Asenat
Meaning of each name
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
- Asenat: belonging to the goddess Neith
-
Nihal Barbara
Meaning of each name
- Nihal: young tree; sapling
- Barbara: foreign woman; woman speaking another language
How to pronounce Barbara
| Syllables | 3 · 7 letters · 7-letter girl names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /baɾbaɾa/ |
Is Barbara a girl’s name?
Yes, Barbara is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.
Barbara does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 5 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Barbara
Famous people named Barbara
- Barbara Yurtdaş · b. 1937
- Barbara Akdeniz · b. 1960
- Barbara Karahan
- Barbara Sungur · b. 1949
FAQ about the name Barbara
What is the meaning of Barbara?
Barbara means “foreign woman; woman speaking another language”. Barbara derives from the feminine form of Greek bárbaros, originally referring to a foreigner or someone who did not speak Greek. It spread through Latin and numerous European languages.
Is Barbara a girl’s name?
Yes, Barbara is used mostly as a girl’s name.
Is Barbara in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Barbara nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Barbara?
Barbara is of Greek and Latin and European languages origin.
How many syllables does Barbara have?
Barbara has 3 syllables and 7 letters.
How popular is the name Barbara?
Barbara does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 5 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
What names go well with Barbara?
Some ideas: Barbara Şebnem; Mahinur Barbara; Barbara Zozan.
Famous people named Barbara?
Notable people named Barbara include Barbara Yurtdaş, Barbara Akdeniz, Barbara Karahan.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm02005 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake