NameData
Name file · Girl · SSA 1880–2024
Barbara
Barbara is a girl's name.
● Holding steadyThe Baby Boomers
1,436,402
Total named
72
Avg ageestimated
1947
Peak year
#859
Rank in 2024
Barbara peaked in 1947, when about 48,800 girls were given the name. Today it has nearly vanished from the charts, sitting at 859th — down about 99% from its peak. Most people named Barbara today are around 72 years old (estimated) — squarely the Baby Boomers. In all, roughly 1,436,402 girls have been named Barbara since record-keeping began in 1880.

📈 Popularity over time

How many girls were named Barbara each year, 1880–2024.
Peak: 194748,800 girls18801900192019401960198020002020

↔ Names from the same era

Other girls' names that peaked around the same time as Barbara:
LindaSusanPatriciaNancyKarenSandra
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (public domain), 1880–2024. Average age is estimated from a survival curve, not actuarial tables.
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How we read a name

Every figure on this page comes from the U.S. Social Security Administration's public-domain record of names given to babies born in the United States from 1880 to 2024. The SSA only counts a name in a year if at least five babies received it.

Popularity & rank

The trajectory shows how many girls were named Barbara each year. The peak year is simply the year that count was highest, and the rank is where the name sat among all girls' names in 2024.

Estimated average age

We estimate the typical age of living people with this name by combining how many were born each year with a rough survival curve. It's a useful approximation for "how old does this name feel," not a precise actuarial figure — that's why we always label it estimated.

For general informational and entertainment purposes only. Counts reflect U.S. SSA card applications and may differ from total births. Figures are rounded.