Barbara

Very ugly, disgusting and outdated Name Eww! 🤮.

My long-time executive assistant's given name was Barbara. However, she had gone by Bobby (spelled with a "y"} since birth. We both traveled on business, usually alternating trips so one of us would be in the office. After 911, the TSA really cracked down on the airline reservation matching the photo ID. She had made the reservation in the name Bobby, yet her driver's license said her name was Barbara. She showed the TSA agent her business card and all of her credit cards were in the name of "Bobby." They finally allowed her to board her flight but told her that reservations in the future must match her ID.

Bit dated plus it sounds like an old lady name.

I think this is a nice feminine and elegant classy name for a lady. Should definitely be seen more in this new era. Nicknames Barbie and Babs are just adorable.

I am a Barbara and I have always HATED my name. And…I really hate being called Barb. It really annoys me when people just assume it is OK to call me Barb when they don’t know me. If they ask, I tell them that Barb is not my name. Hell I’d rather be called Babs or Barbi than Barb. Actually, my older brother was supposed to be named Barbara. After three daughters in a row, my parents figured they were having another girl. He was born in Santa Barbara, CA where my father was a professor. We later moved to San Luis Obispo where I was born. Since they couldn’t call my brother Barbara, I was given this awful old lady name. So, I was basically named after Santa Barbara and my grandmother. Barbara Evelyn Ugh double old lady name!

I am a Barbara! I didn’t like my name when I was a kid but I love it now as I’ve never really gone by Barbara but I am mostly known as Barbie by everyone who knows me. People see me as fun & silly which I don’t mind. Yet if I choose to go by Barbara I am taken more seriously! I think that’s funny!
Most people when they meet me find it odd that my name is Barbie, but then they realize it suits me perfectly!
Contrary to the stereotype of the name Barbie, I am not a 6” tall blonde! I am a short chubby Latina lady! Lol!

I think Barbara is a beautiful classy name, and I love the nickname “Barbie”.

I actually quite like this name. It only sounds harsh if you say it that way, and I prefer the pronunciation BAHR-bə-rə, but I like both. I couldn't really see this on a child until I looked at old family photos with a little Barbara, or a Barbara as a baby, and I got used to it. Barbie could also be used as a nickname on a child, with I think is sweet.

I’m not a fan of Barbara. It’s a classy, timeless, but very dated name. Also it sounds very harsh and not very feminine or soft. The only good thing about it is that Barbara is internationally well known, easy to spell and pronounce. It’s also my cousin’s name whose personality seems to match this name. There is nothing feminine about her and she can be very harsh.

Very bubbly and cute, but also very serious at the same time! Very interesting dynamics here.

Very dated, old lady name.

Barbara is a name with an intriguing history and it's super powerful because of awesome women like Saint Barbara, Barbara Walters, Stanwyck, and Streisand. It's a name for divas! And how about the middle name 'Wire'? Barb Wire is a total boss name that owns its identity and represents feminist spirit. Rethink the name Barbara, it's a name that exudes resilience and empowerment.

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Edit: Ok I've had a rethink and Wire is probably a bit silly for a middle name but Victoria would be a good fit.

Not my all-time favourite name, but nice enough, and one that's belonged to many notable and talented women, it's deserving of a continued history of use.

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It would sound refreshing on a new generation of small girls. For people who hate the nicknames Babs or Barbie, I think Bebe or Biba or Bibi make cute alternatives.

I think it's lovely, it makes me think of Barbra Streisand.

Weird name like really imagine having a baby named Barbara EWWWWW.

I like the nickname Barbie!

Very dated.

So lovely.

Elegant and timeless. I don't like the nickname Barbie, though.

For me it’s a very nice classic name, very popular in the 40s.

Ugly, unfashionable and very dated.

She's a good healer in Genshin. Really sweet, and has a great and bubbly personality.

Barbara Pegg from Genshin Impact. She possesses Hydro vision, also a great healer; like what iwtsupusmnacsh said.

I am a Barbara! I answer to most nicknames associated with it except "Barb."
When I was younger I thought I had a horrible name, as I've grown I can't imagine not being Barbara Dawn. Most of the people in my life call me Bobbi or Barbie and I love the way it sounds.
I mean... my name could be a lot worse. The meaning is beautiful my Dad (rest his soul) named me. He said I was born as day started to break. Stranger of the Dawn.
As I got older he told people I was a light traveler and my soul was born into his family for a reason...

My name is Barbara and I always hated it. As an 80s baby the only people I met with my name were all at least 40 (which was an old lady to a little kid). My Mum would get upset when I said it was an old lady name though.
At school I got bullied with names like Barbar the Elephant and Big Babs and so the only nicknames I use are Barb, Barbarella and simply B.
It is still my name but I wouldn’t recommend it for a baby.

Well I don't think Barbara is such a bad name. Yes, it sounds dated, but it's what's fashionable now, anyway. It seems like a strong and empowered name to me, I don't know why I always imagine a redhead, but it doesn't matter. I honestly prefer Barbara a thousand times over other "modern" or "hippie" names out there, no offense. And nicknames like Babs or Babette seem adorable to me. I think it is a matter of time before it resurfaces again.

Not ugly or dated! BEAUTIFUL name. Love the nickname Barbie (might be alone in that one).

Strong name for strong woman! Classic beauty! Barbara is really popular among middle aged and older woman, should be used more often for younger generation. Good quality name!

It's nice. I like nns Barbie, Babette, and Babs.

Better than Barbie.

I was surprised to see that this name is still in the top 1,000. It's not attractive in the English language. Although it was briefly popular, it hasn't had any sustaining power, this is one of the old-fashioned names that isn't being brought back. I'm happy to see names from my grandmother and great-grandmother's generation reappearing, but I think Barbara should be put to rest. I don't love "Babs", "Barb" or "Barbie". The meaning isn't that significant.

The name is not bad... but it is so common with older women that the beauty faded.

Ugly and dated.

There are plenty of old names that could work on kids nowadays, but this just isn't one of them. It seems quite dated and would sound weird on a young girl. I don't like the sound of it either. Also, it has a lot of unpleasant nicknames. Barb reminds me of barbed wire, Barbie reminds me of the dolls, Babs sounds silly and very country-like to me, and Bara just makes me think of the Japanese manga genre.

I love this name, it's classic and elegant.

A very dated, musty old name. It doesn't sound very pleasant when spoken either; it has a harshness that is rather grating to the ear. This name needs to go to the old folks' home, and stay there forever.

I’m Barbara Helle, what literally means foreign of the light. And I think it's the most beautiful choice that my parents made. And also, I wasn’t born in 1940, I’m a 20 year old woman, who would love to see Barbara’s more often.

I think that it is a strong and beautiful name. I really like it. Maybe it is not so popular in USA in this year, but it will be in 50 years. Barb, Babs, Barbie I like all of it.

This is my adoptive sister's name. She's 12 years old right now. Honestly, I think it's alright, but since it's my sister, no thanks.

Dated and not that pretty to me.

I am Barbara and am proud of my name because it is not common in the world and that makes me different, it's just that I don't have the attributes of St Barbara.

I'm Barbara Jean but go by Barbara and I love my name. Powerful, smart, elegant, wise, graceful. It's a timeless name but out of fashion because straightforward elegance is not valued these days. I especially love it because no one else my age is Barbara. I think it's a great name for a baby. When I was little they called me "Baby Barbara" with so much adoration, and when my mom remembers my baby time and uses that name it's as if she knew I was something special from the beginning. I think you have to be able to live up to this name. Those who are meant to be "Barbara" know they are destined to rise above life's tribulations. Barbara's are the very lucky ones. Barbara's don't struggle with little female worries. Our sights are on bigger issues, deeper thoughts and higher beauty.

This is my mom's name. When I was a child I hated this name because I was had difficulty pronouncing the letter R, for me this name was really a nightmare.
I only have met one younger woman with this name (here in Italy it isn't a common name in recent years). I don't like this name a lot, I think it sounds much too strong (I prefer sweet names). I like the nickname Barbie a lot, I think it's very cute :)

I don’t think this name is so bad. It does sort of sound like the name of a vegetable. When I think of it, I think of Barbara Gordon A.K.A. Batgirl. For some reason, I think Barbara is Mrs. Claus’ first name. Probably because of Santa Barbara.

My parents in the 40's named their 4 kids using the letter B. Beth Anne, Barbara Ann, Bonnie Anne and Bill. I was the middle girl and I hated my name. I've made several wonderful name changes, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn't like their name. When I go into my final living situation, I'm going to say, Well yes, that's my name, but everyone calls me Grace.
It's my dear Grandmother's name, and it's also funny because I am chronically clumsy.

Barbara sounds very old-fashioned and I can’t picture a little girl in this time named Barbara, but according to the usage, it’s a lot more popular than my name, Casey!

Very old fashioned, beware.

Barbara is such a pretty name. I don’t like any of the nicknames aside from maybe Babs and possibly Bobbi, though both don’t preserve the beauty of Barbara, which is why I think Barbara is so much nicer alone. It would be refreshing to see a girl named Barbara as it sounds like a very pretty name. The recently deceased Barbara Bush would make a decent namesake since she seemed like such a beautiful and nice lady. It may be out of style, but I hope it comes back in soon since I do remember seeing someone saying that Carol and Deborah were names that could be popular within the next decade, which I hope happens. Barbara, Deborah and Nancy are pretty names for classy ladies and I want to see them come back.

What are you doing here? It’s 2018. You’re in the wrong decade to be considering Barbara for a name.

"Yunchy" is the yiddish word for nerdy. Exactly describes "Barbara".

I kind of like this. It isn't that common anymore, and it sounds like it could be the name of anyone. You can shorten it when your Barbara is younger, and when she gets older you can use the full name. Barbra isn't that good though.

I am a Barbara, a Barbara Jean. I have always loved my first name but loathed my middle name. My Mom was reading a book and decided she would name me after a character in the book. She did that with a couple of us kids! I have always matched perfectly with my name as I am a "foreigner" to my family in many ways---my parents divorced after two children and then remarried and I was the child born after the remarriage. There is a strong reason to believe that I am why they remarried because at that time, it just wasn't done to be an unwed mother. And she had married someone else for a very short period, divorced, and then hooked with my Dad and "maybe" I am his child. I am clearly unlike my other five siblings--taller by far than all including my brothers, blue-eyed, and terrible vision but none of my siblings ever wore glasses until they reached that age when everyone over 40 needs them. I don't look like anyone else, and I had my DNA done to discover I am Irish, Norse, and British. We are supposed to have Native American on both sides but not in my DNA, so I am an outsider. But I have clearly lived up to being independent. I always love discovering other Barbaras, but I doubt that any of my granddaughters will ever bear that name without a hefty financial bribe! I understand there is an author named Barbara Anderson who is quite accomplished and comes from New Zealand. Barbara has substance, style, uniqueness, and a magical quality to it, and it's a lovely quality to have a name that is special and well-suited to me. My older brother, however, tormented me with such nicknames as Boo-Jean, Babby Jean, Bobby Jean, Knobby Bobby (the knees got me that one... and I would lunge at him and jump on him and make him so very sorry he thought of those clever names! As a middle child, I needed a unique name to separate me from the pack and I believe I have lived up to my name throughout my life, pretty much fearless and go for it. I gave my daughter a unique one as well, Elly Jane, which she hates to this day, but it made her tough and fearless.

My name is Barbara, Barbara Jane. I was named after my mom’s sister, my aunt. I was always called “Little Barbara“ by family, but never had any other nickname. I’ve never been too fond of my name, never had any real deep feelings for my aunt. As I’ve gotten older I have become more comfortable with it. I am always surprised to meet a Barbara and enthusiastically tell them that it’s my name, too. I am a nurse and once when I was working in ICU I had to accompany my patient to surgery. The surgeon’s scrub nurse was named Barbara and the 2 OR nurses were as well. During surgery another nurse peeked her head in to see if we needed assistance and the surgeon said, “Only if your name is Barbara!” Everyone has always told me that I don’t look like a “Barbie” that I’m too smart for that name. I guess that is a compliment. But I don’t don’t think girls called Barbie are unintelligent. I like Babs and Bee and Bebe. But I’m 53 and feel like it’s too late for a nickname. My husband and I recently moved to AZ, where I literally know only him. So I can reinvent myself. What do you guys think? BTW, I don’t care for the nickname Barb. And actually, my husband's brother also married a Barbara, weird but true coincidence, so we have the exact same name except our middle names are different. She goes by Barb.

I'm Barbara Jean but go by Barbara and I love my name. Powerful, smart, elegant, wise, graceful. It's a timeless name but out of fashion because straightforward elegance is not valued these days. I especially love it because no one else my age is Barbara. I think it's a great name for a baby. When I was little they called me "Baby Barbara" with so much adoration, and when my mom remembers my baby time and uses that name it's as if she knew I was something special from the beginning. I think you have to be able to live up to this name. Those who are meant to be "Barbara" know they are destined to rise above life's tribulations. Barbara's are the very lucky ones. Barbara's don't struggle with little female worries. Our sites are on bigger issues, deeper thoughts and higher beauty.

My nickname since I was a small child has been "Barbie". I was 10 years old when the Barbie Doll was invented in 1959. The Christian definition of the name Barbara is "beautiful stranger".

My name is Barbara, and I have always loved it. It doesn't seem to be a common name now, but there were seven of us in my first grade class of 43 kids. I love all the meanings. They make me want to demonstrate all of them. Being a "barbarian" is rather exciting. I am named for Barbara Stanwyck--my dad had a crush on her!

Outdated is as outdated does. I've always liked my name, Barbara Ellen (close to the song, "Barbara Allen.") I don't like the nicknames "Barb" or "Babs," but I've known other Barbaras who chose them. "Barbie" is for family only -- and "Barbara" is just fine! So as to outdated: Other old-fashioned names have made a comeback, like Isabel or Evelyn. When I was a child, no girl would be caught dead with those names... Other women's names which seem old and fusty to me are recommended for a comeback -- e.g. Gertrude or Mildred. And some day, Mia and Kimberly and Madison and Zoe will seem old and fusty. Outdated is in the ear of the beholder.

UGLY NAME! Sounds like an obese ugly woman with a huge mole and a unibrow. I despise the name Barbara and the name BARBIE is just SOOO UGLY!

If a woman's name is used in a television commercial in the U.S. there is a 90% chance her name is Barbara. And there is usually a man saying her name so it sounds like he's whining or nagging. It's stretched out and sounds laberous. When a commercial says Barbara and I'm in the same room I instinctively think I'm being called by someone. Even if I've heard the commercial many many times, Lol.

I'm Barbara Ann, named after The Beach Boys Song of the same name by my Father in 1967. My family has always called me Barby. A former boyfriend called me Barbwire and that stuck. There is less user names of barbwyre than Barbara or Barby. In school we had one other Barbara. People have a problem spelling the name so I just say it's 2 bar's and an a. They understand that easier. For some strange reason people call me Brenda a lot! Sometimes Margaret. I hate the short name of Babs. I've been called Barbarawawa and Bimbo and Brabra all by my brother-in-law. I am the youngest Barbara I have ever known. I have never liked my name. Always wanted to be called Bobbi. Now that I know that Barbara means strange and foreign I dislike it even more. The only cool thing about my name is that there is a Beach Boys song named after it. I would use my middle name instead of Barbara if only my middle name wasn't Ann! Equally as boring and out of date as Barbara.

Barbara is a beautiful name. It sounds sophisticated and has a nice feel to it. I hope it makes a comeback one day.

It emphatically shocks me that people still use this name; that this name is still within the top 1000. Barbara is a dated and rather ugly name and I can not at all imagine it on someone younger than 50- especially on a youth or a child. From 2014-2015 this name decreased but not by much (#863 to #864) are you honestly kidding me?! Just by one rank?
Honestly, I can see this name getting off of the charts and hopefully that's sooner than later.

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Barbara is a dated and ugly name no matter who carries it.

I'm Barbara and I love my name. It's graceful and elegant. It's a name beyond time, neither old or new but always was. It's one of the easiest sounds for children to say. It has a natural, resonant, ancient sound. When I was born my mother was sick and everyone anxiously awaited the birth of baby Barbara. My mother still sometimes uses this as a term of love when we look at old photos so I have no trouble imagining this name for a little girl. That was me in the bassinet or smiling at the camera from down there on the carpet. I was the oldest and I felt it was a perfect name for an oldest child since they always got the best. I hope to see a baby Barbara in my lifetime. Little girl Barbara's are a special clan and will come back when the time is right. It will be interesting to see who "gets it" and is among the first to christen their little girl with this gift. I agree that if you are a true "Barbara" you know it. We recognize each other. It's a privilege to be Barbara.

My name is Barbara and I am very proud of my name. I'm in my late 20s. To me, the name Barbara is an honorable name associated with greatness, uniqueness, elegance and authority. Count yourself lucky if you have a "Barbara" in your family. It is only TRUE Barbara's that know the importance of this name. If you were given this name and never liked or felt connected to it, it is because you were never meant to be a "Barbara" or let's say you were not chosen. I'm glad my parents have fulfilled a significant task by choosing the appropriate name for moi.

My name is Barbara Anne and, yes, I was born in the 50's. I knew one other Barbara when I was in elementary school, but suddenly in high school I met and became friends with 2 other Barbaras. We were called the 3B's and thought it was cool. Meeting those girls changed my opinion of the name Barbara. I never really liked it because I thought it wasn't very cute and certainly not hip. All that changed when we got together! Perception is a funny thing. I love being Barbara now.

I'm 22 and my name is Barbara and I love it. It's my Grandmothers name and she is the best person I have ever met and proud to carry such a lovely name.

Barbara is my grandmother's name, and because of that, I will always associate it with old ladies. Plus, my grandmother is kind of scary and I don't like when I'm forced to socialize with her around Thanksgiving, which doesn't help. Plus, before she married, her name was Barbara Brown, which she got teased about a lot. (though I don't fully understand why because 50's pop culture isn't something I know much about)

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Overall, feels like a good name for a mean old lady and nobody else.

It's a name of my sister and some of my friends. It's a nice short name. Although I wouldn't want to be named Barbara. But I still like it. It's easy to pronounce and can easily be read in other countries. Nicknames me and other people mostly use for my sister and friends are Barbra, Barba, and Barbie. The only minus point for me is its association with the Barbie doll. I can't help but think of the toy whenever I hear the word Barbie even though it's a cute nickname for Barbara.

I hate it. My parents were going to name me 'Nicole' but chickened out because that sounded too sexy to them (and they were really down on sex). Truly down on it... pathologically. It was for creating kids and that was it... get it over with. Something to do when you were over-the-top bored.

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Yeah, I would have preferred Nicole. Especially since people had always complimented my looks, telling me how French appearing and petite I was... when younger (LOL).

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I found out through therapy that my mother was very jealous and threatened by me. She may have seen me as even more of a threat with a sexy name like 'Nicole'.

Barbara is emphatically dated. I'm very surprised it's still in the top 1000. I can picture Barbara on a full grown woman. 50's and above.

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I can not imagine this name on a younger individual of today. You name a kid "Barbara" now, it would just come across as pretentious and also very sad. It's just a very dated, unattractive name.

I was honestly surprised to look up the popularity of Barbara, since it shows that Barbara is still in the Top 1000 names in the United States. I've never met any Barbaras my age (born '91) - pretty much all the Barbaras I've met were born in the 50s, when the name was hugely popular.

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Honestly, I don't even immediately connect Barbie with Barbara (and I loved Barbie dolls when I was little), and neither do I think of "barbaric" - likely because the emphasis is on a different syllable. I don't usually like names that start with "B," but Barbara actually sounds elegant to my ears - quite the opposite of the name's original meaning.

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You have to be careful with middle names for Barbara, though. Double-names like "Barbara Ann" (thank you, Beach Boys) and "Bobbie Jo" are terribly dated. Off the top of my head, I think Barbara Noelle is quite pretty...

This name is so heavy, musty, and dated. I've actually known of a few Barbaras a little younger than I am, and the name seems so out of place. I just can't picture it on anyone but a woman over fifty. The "barbarian" meaning doesn't do it any favors either.

I love the name Barbara! It's very classy, respectable, elegant, sophisticated, vintage and beautiful. Xoxo :) And I think the nicknames Babs and Barbie are cute. :)

This is a bit long... but reading the comments about "my name" really hit a nerve with me. I was given this name at birth by my father, and have never, ever identified with it or liked it. According to my mother, it was the name of his college girlfriend, so it was a point of contention from the very beginning. Additionally, the meaning of Barbara (barbarian, foreigner, uncivilized, "one who doesn't belong", "one who doesn't speak the same language,") has had a deep and profound correlation with how my life has unfolded. Would things have been notably different if I'd been given a name that I liked and identified with? Who knows? But I think it would have helped. "Barbara" is also not an attractive name to my ear, especially the way Americans pronounce it, and ESPECIALLY when it's shortened to just the dreadful first syllable, which we friendly Americans (I've never had this happen outside of the U.S.) frequently do, even if the other person never referred to themselves in that way. I've actually changed my name (not legally, as I have yet to truly identify with another name, ) several times because of my dislike and disconnect with "Barbara". Names are just SO important! In a number of cultures, the child is given a temporary name at birth, which is then replaced by the name of their own choice when they become older. Brilliant! I wish that had been my own scenario. How in the world do we presume to name another human being when we don't know anything about them? Thanks for reading and sorry for the crabby tone of this... like I stated at the beginning, it's a very sensitive subject for me.

I really love the name Barbara, I think it's beautiful and timeless. My mom's name is Barbara Mary and she goes by Barbara Mary or Barbara. Some people also call her Barb. I don't think this name sounds too old fashioned, especially since names like Edith and Agnes are making a come back. I also think the name Barbie is cute as a nickname for Barbara especially for a little girl. My mom was called Barbie by some relatives when she was younger.

Ba-ba-ba, Ba-Barbara Ann... Got me rockin' and a-rollin', rockin' and a reelin' Barbara Ann!

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Now that that's out of my system... I'd say this name's about due for a comeback.

I love this name; it's lovely but not frilly and sensible without being severe. I just wish it had a better choice of nicknames!

I think it is a dignified and attractive name, although I am not crazy about the nickname Barb. If I were a Barbara, I believe I would ask for people to call me either Barbara or Bee (I do like Bee).

Extremely distasteful. It sounds like "barbaric" when pronounced how it's spelled "bar-bear-ah." It's very old-fashioned and not fit for a little girl. Sounds like a 1950's mom with very big hair.

Not a bad name, but kind of old fashioned. Who ever picks up a baby and says "she looks like a Barbara"?

Bobbie is a common nickname for Barbara. It's the one my mom uses, since she hates Barb, Barbie, or Babs. Her full name is Barbara Anne, like the song. I always tease her about that. She was born before the song came out, so she definitely was not named after it.

This is my mom's name, and I like it. It's so cool that I am a geologist and my mother's name is Barbara, since she is the patron saint of geologists!

Well, the only people I know named Barbara are over 40, but my friend has a friend named Barbara Anne (age 12) who I can SO picture.

I can see an older woman (not old, but like in her late 20's or early 30's) called this these days, and back then I can see a little girl named Barbara. You know what I mean? It's an interesting name, not ugly or pretty, just interesting. But it does have it's class and grace to an extent.

I must say that the first thing that comes to my mind after reading or hearing this name is a middle-aged woman with a big 80s hair style, too much make-up in the eyes, red lips enhanced with silicone, a tight face that has been surgically altered to a point where it looks unnatural, long, red fake nails, silicone implant breasts, and some horrible fuchsia outfit. I've learned to associate the name with rather ditzy and shallow women with an unpleasant personality, but they're not all bad. I've gotten the impression that Barbara Ehrenreich is a pretty witty person.

That's my name, and one of the many reasons why I like it is that it's pretty much international and spelled the same everywhere. In my job I have to talk with people from countries all around the world, and any person I introduce myself to is able to write my name down correctly, everyone recognizes it - extremely practical, if you ask me. :)

My mother's name is Barbara. My father's name is Ken. I'm not kidding! Barbie and Ken! But don't EVER call her Barbie! Uh-oh! Or any variation except maybe Barb if you've known her for a decade or so! She was Bobbie Jo in high school and hated it, so careful with those middle names (forget Joan!). By the way, Barbara is BEAUTIFUL said with a French accent!

I think this is a very pretty name, but I can't imagine a little girl being called Barbara.

I do not think it is a name for old ladies. In Slovenia it is a very popular name. My sister is Barbara and we call her Barbi - in English it is like Barbie. I like the name.

My sister's name is Barbara Jeanine and I always wanted to have her name. She seemed to fit it perfectly she's so elegant and graceful. Even when she was little it fit her. I would have given it to my daughter Therese-Clare but I didn't want to steal her name.

I know someone who is 34 and has the name Barbara. It isn't a bad name.

Well I can't say anything bad about this name, I know 3 great people with this name. My grandmother's name was Barbara Gladys, she went by the nickname Babs. My mum's name is Barbara but she goes by her middle name Diane. My friends name is Barbara, she wasn't too thrilled with her name while young but says she hasn't gotten used it now.

I can't imagine anyone under the age of 40 having the name Barbara. It's a very middle aged name, and it seems a bit odd for a child to have it.

This is my name, and I must admit it's never done much for me. That said, I don't find myself tripping over other Barbaras (it's kind of startling to me when I do!), and it ages well.

It also means "stranger," "exotic." Short names or pet names are Babs and Barbie. This is also my Grandmother's name.