Barb
Barb is a feminine given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Barbara. It is also sometimes a surname.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Barb
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Barb is a feminine given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Barbara. It is also sometimes a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Barb
American parents first put Barb on the record books as a baby girl name in 1938, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1960, when 493 Barbs were born — ranking #440 that year. About 56% of every Barb on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. Barb last appeared in the published SSA data in 1972, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Barb
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Barb. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Barb
Phonetically similar names — useful when Barb is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Barb
What does the name Barb mean?
What is the origin of the name Barb?
How popular is Barb in 2026?
When was Barb most popular?
In which U.S. states is Barb most popular?
Is Barb a unisex name?
What names go well with Barb?
What are nicknames or variants of Barb?
About the name Barb
Barb is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1938 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Barb's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #440. Use the chart and map above to compare Barb's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.