Sibling names for Barbara
Names that sound like they belong in the same family as Barbara usually share its era. These sister and brother names rose and fell on a similar curve to Barbara, whose busiest decade was the 1940s, and are about as common, so neither child's name will feel dated or unusual next to the other.
Sister names for Barbara
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyce | lord (Breton, via Josse) | #1,074 | 1,247 | 1940s |
| Patricia | noble, patrician | #1,336 | 983 | 1950s |
| Marilyn | #761 | 2,002 | 1940s | |
| Nancy | pet form of Ann (or Agnes) | #967 | 1,382 | 1950s |
| Carol | short form of Caroline; also male Carolus | #2,242 | 391 | 1940s |
| Janet | pet form of Jane | #2,791 | 428 | 1950s |
| Elaine | Old French form of Helen | #305 | 3,996 | 1940s |
| Janice | variant of Jane | #2,522 | 428 | 1950s |
| Gloria | glory (Latin) | #655 | 2,327 | 1940s |
Brother names for Barbara
| Name | Meaning | Rank 2025 | Babies, last 5 years | Peak decade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald | spear rule | #1,206 | 982 | 1940s |
| Jerry | pet form of Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy and others | #907 | 1,523 | 1940s |
| Ronald | ruler with counsel (Norse, via Scottish Gaelic) | #638 | 2,429 | 1940s |
| Roger | famous spear (Germanic) | #834 | 1,712 | 1950s |
| Wayne | wagon maker (English surname) | #655 | 1,824 | 1950s |
| Jimmy | pet form of James | #847 | 1,536 | 1940s |
| Richard | strong ruler | #234 | 8,165 | 1950s |
| Kenneth | #294 | 6,344 | 1950s | |
| Dennis | follower of Dionysus (Greek) | #707 | 1,992 | 1950s |
| Gary | spear (from names in Gar-/Ger-) | #1,073 | 1,081 | 1950s |
Barbara's era
Barbara ranked #968 for girls in 2025, against #850 in 2015. Its best year was 1937, at #2. Names that rose and fell with it share its period feel, which keeps the set consistent.
Timeless names that go with any sibling
These names have been used steadily for a hundred years, so they sit comfortably next to a name from any era, Barbara included.
Girls: Elizabeth, Maria, Lydia, Cecilia, Julia, Miriam. Boys: Samuel, Anthony, Wesley, Vincent, Calvin, Victor.
Same era, but close to Barbara
These names follow Barbara's curve too, but we left them out above because they share a first letter or an ending with Barbara. Some parents like that echo; if you do, start here.
How these were chosen
Each suggestion's share of US babies has followed a curve close to Barbara's since 1880, and its recent number of babies is within about twelve times Barbara's, so the names are in the same league. Names starting with the same letter as Barbara or with the same ending are left out, so the names go together without matching. Spellings of Barbara itself are excluded.