Name profile

GirlPronounced American English /ˈbɑɹ.bə.ɹə/; American English /ˈbɑɹ.bɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bə.ɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bɹə/; Italian /ˈbar.ba.ra/; French /baʁ.ba.ʁa/; German /ˈbaʁ.ba.ʁa/; Polish /bar.ˈba.ra/; Hungarian /ˈbɒr.bɒ.rɒ/; Dutch /ˈbɑr.baː.raː/Galician language family

Bárbara

A name meaning "foreign, savage, strange".

Quick answer

Bárbara is a girl name meaning "foreign, savage, strange".

Pronunciation: American English /ˈbɑɹ.bə.ɹə/; American English /ˈbɑɹ.bɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bə.ɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bɹə/; Italian /ˈbar.ba.ra/; French /baʁ.ba.ʁa/; German /ˈbaʁ.ba.ʁa/; Polish /bar.ˈba.ra/; Hungarian /ˈbɒr.bɒ.rɒ/; Dutch /ˈbɑr.baː.raː/.

GenderGirl
Meaningforeign, savage, strange
PronunciationAmerican English /ˈbɑɹ.bə.ɹə/; American English /ˈbɑɹ.bɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bə.ɹə/; British English /ˈbɑː.bɹə/; Italian /ˈbar.ba.ra/; French /baʁ.ba.ʁa/; German /ˈbaʁ.ba.ʁa/; Polish /bar.ˈba.ra/; Hungarian /ˈbɒr.bɒ.rɒ/; Dutch /ˈbɑr.baː.raː/
Language familyGalician

Meaning and history

This name is derived from Latin barbarus meaning "foreign, savage, strange", originally from Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros) meaning "foreign, non-Greek". According to legend, Saint Barbara was a young woman killed by her father Dioscorus, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. She is the patron of architects, geologists, stonemasons and artillerymen. Because of her renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world in the Middle Ages. In England it became rare after the Protestant Reformation, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Notes and context

Usage: english, italian, french, german, polish, hungarian, slovene, croatian, dutch, swedish, danish, norwegian, ancient roman