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2025 data, released 8 May 2026

2025 data, released 8 May 2026

Barb

Barb was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 440th with 493 babies. More babies were named Barb in the 1960s than in any other decade.

Meaning Not yet researched how we research meanings

Rank in 2025
Not rankedgirls
Babies in 2025
0girls
Girls and boys
No babies recorded in the last five years2021–2025
Peak year
1960493 babies
Total since 1880
3,853babies recorded

Barb popularity since 1880

0125250375500 1900192019401960198020002020
Girls Babies per year, US, from Social Security records. Years with fewer than 5 babies show as zero.
YearRank (girls)Babies (girls)
2025——
2020——
2010——
2000——
1990——
1980——
1970#2,78225
1960#440493
1950#2,44417
1940——
1930——
1920——
1910——
1900——
1890——
1880——

How popular is Barb, counting every spelling?

Barb has no other common spelling that sounds the same.

How old are people named Barb?

About 3,200 people born in the US named Barb are alive today, with a median age of 66; half are between 64 and 68. That makes Barb a name most people associate with older generations.

0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980–8990+
Estimated people alive in the US with the name, by age, mid-2026. The darker bar holds the median age.

Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.

Barb by state

How common Barb was among girls born in each state in 1958–1962, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (6.6×), South Dakota (4.4×), Wisconsin (3.9×), Iowa (3.4×), Nebraska (3.1×). In 32 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.

Alaska: fewer than 5 a yearAK–Maine: fewer than 5 a yearME–Wisconsin: 0.86 per 1,000 babiesWI0.86Vermont: fewer than 5 a yearVT–New Hampshire: fewer than 5 a yearNH–Washington: 0.38 per 1,000 babiesWA0.38Idaho: fewer than 5 a yearID–Montana: 0.52 per 1,000 babiesMT0.52North Dakota: 0.61 per 1,000 babiesND0.61Minnesota: 1.4 per 1,000 babiesMN1.4Illinois: 0.41 per 1,000 babiesIL0.41Michigan: 0.63 per 1,000 babiesMI0.63New York: 0.09 per 1,000 babiesNY0.09Massachusetts: fewer than 5 a yearMA–Oregon: 0.21 per 1,000 babiesOR0.21Nevada: fewer than 5 a yearNV–Wyoming: fewer than 5 a yearWY–South Dakota: 0.97 per 1,000 babiesSD0.97Iowa: 0.74 per 1,000 babiesIA0.74Indiana: 0.34 per 1,000 babiesIN0.34Ohio: 0.56 per 1,000 babiesOH0.56Pennsylvania: 0.28 per 1,000 babiesPA0.28New Jersey: 0.02 per 1,000 babiesNJ0.02Connecticut: fewer than 5 a yearCT–Rhode Island: fewer than 5 a yearRI–California: 0.02 per 1,000 babiesCA0.02Utah: fewer than 5 a yearUT–Colorado: 0.38 per 1,000 babiesCO0.38Nebraska: 0.68 per 1,000 babiesNE0.68Missouri: 0.41 per 1,000 babiesMO0.41Kentucky: fewer than 5 a yearKY–West Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearWV–Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearVA–Maryland: fewer than 5 a yearMD–Delaware: fewer than 5 a yearDE–Arizona: fewer than 5 a yearAZ–New Mexico: fewer than 5 a yearNM–Kansas: fewer than 5 a yearKS–Arkansas: fewer than 5 a yearAR–Tennessee: fewer than 5 a yearTN–North Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearNC–South Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearSC–District of Columbia: fewer than 5 a yearDC–Oklahoma: fewer than 5 a yearOK–Louisiana: fewer than 5 a yearLA–Mississippi: fewer than 5 a yearMS–Alabama: fewer than 5 a yearAL–Georgia: fewer than 5 a yearGA–Hawaii: fewer than 5 a yearHI–Texas: fewer than 5 a yearTX–Florida: fewer than 5 a yearFL–
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex, Barb, girls, 1958–1962. Darker means more common.

Names with a similar history

These names rose and fell in step with Barb: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Barb, they share its era and feel.

Barb is also a nickname for Barbara.

Questions about the name Barb

How popular is the name Barb?

Barb was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 440th with 493 babies. More babies were named Barb in the 1960s than in any other decade.

Is Barb a boy or girl name?

No babies were given the name in 2021–2025. Historically it was given to 3,853 girls and 0 boys.

Where was Barb most popular?

In 1958–1962, Barb was most common in Minnesota (1.45 per 1,000 girls), followed by South Dakota and Wisconsin.