How popular is the baby name Barbara in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Barbara.

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Popularity of the baby name Barbara


Posts that mention the name Barbara

Baby girl gets 139 names: Tracy Mariclaire Lisa…

John and Margaret Nelson of Chesterfield, England, welcomed a baby girl at the very end of 1985. They named their daughter Tracy, but that’s not all they named her. This is Tracy’s full name:

Tracy Mariclaire Lisa Tammy Samantha Christine Alexandra Candy Bonnie Ursala Zoe Nichola Patricia Lynda Kate Jean Sandra Karren Julie Jane Elizabeth Felicity Gabriella Jackie Corina Constance Arabella Clara Honor Geraldine Fiona Erika Fillippa Anabel Elsie Amanda Cheryl Alanna Louisa Angie Beth Crystal Dawn Debbie Eileen Grace Susan Rebecca Valerie Kay Lena Margaret Anna Amy Carol Bella Avril Ava Audry Andrea Daphne Donna Cynthia Cassie Christabel Vivien Wendy Moira Jennifer Abbie Adelaide Carrissa Carla Anne Astrid Barbara Charissa Catalina Bonny Dee Hazel Iris Anthea Clarinda Bernadette Cara Alison Carrie Angela Beryl Caroline Emma Dana Vanessa Zara Violet Lynn Maggie Pamela Rosemary Ruth Cathlene Alexandrina Annette Hilary Diana Angelina Carrinna Victoria Sara Mandy Annabella Beverly Bridget Cecilia Catherine Brenda Jessica Isbella Delilah Camila Candace Helen Connie Charmaine Dorothy Melinda Nancy Mariam Vicki Selina Miriam Norma Pauline Toni Penny Shari Zsa-zsa Queenie Nelson

That’s 139 given names and 1 surname.

Why did John and Margaret do this to their daughter? According to John, “We just wanted to give her something for when she grows up.”

A reason that makes complete sense, of course.

Speaking of things that make sense, let’s pick out some of the needless repetition:

  • Alexandra (#7) and Alexandrina (#103)
  • Amanda (#36) and Mandy (#111)
  • Angela (#89), Angie (#40) and Angelina (#107)
  • Anna (#33), Anne (#74) and Annette (#104)
  • Bella (#56), Annabella (#112), Arabella (#27) and Isbella (#119)
  • Bonnie (#9) and Bonny (#79)
  • Candace (#122) and Candy (#8)
  • Carrissa (#72) and Charissa (#77)
  • Clara (#28) and Clarinda (#84)
  • Constance (#26) and Connie (#124)
  • Corina (#25) and Carrinna (#108)
  • Elizabeth (#21) and Beth (#41)
  • Margaret (#52) and Maggie (#98)
  • Mariam (#129) and Miriam (#131)
  • Victoria (#109) and Vicki (#130)
  • Zara (#95) and Sara (#110)

If you could go back in time and rename this baby, which two names (out of the 139) would you choose as her first and middle names?

Source: “Tracy for short.” Reading Eagle 24 Jan 1986: 1.

Where did the baby name Marisela come from in 1945?

The character Marisela from the movie "Doña Bárbara" (1943)
Marisela from “Doña Bárbara“

The baby name Marisela debuted in the U.S. baby name data in the middle of the 1940s:

  • 1948: 9 baby girls named Marisela
    • 6 born in Texas
  • 1947: 5 baby girls named Marisela
    • 5 born in Texas
  • 1946: unlisted
  • 1945: 12 baby girls named Marisela [debut]
    • 10 born in Texas
  • 1944: unlisted
  • 1943: unlisted

Where did it come from?

A character in the Mexican film Doña Bárbara. Barbara was a ruthless rancher and devoradora — “devourer [of men]” — and Marisela (played by María Elena Marqués) was her long-neglected daughter. Doña Bárbara was released in Mexico in 1943 and started playing in U.S. theaters in 1944 (starting in Los Angeles in April).

The film was based on the famous Venezuelan novel Doña Bárbara (1929) by Rómulo Gallegos. The book was “at once a political tract, a national icon, a precursor to magical realism and a pop culture sensation.”

Its action — the power struggle between a sexy, barbaric woman and a young, idealistic technocrat — mirrors the clash between feudalism and modernity that consumed South America in the early 20th century.

Of course, the “barbaric woman” was Bárbara — you can tell by the name.

(The one American character has a similarly suggestive name: Señor Peligro — “Mister Danger.”)

Gallegos went on to serve as President of Venezuela for nine months in 1948, elected in what is generally considered Venezuela’s first honest election. He was deposed in November, though.

P.S. The name Irasema was also popularized in the U.S. by Mexican cinema…

Sources: Doña Bárbara (1943) – IMDb, Dona Barbara – TCM, Rómulo Gallegos – Wikipedia, Oil, Chavez And Telenovelas: The Rise Of The Venezuelan Novel, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Doña Bárbara

Where did the baby name Dyana come from in 1944?

Radio singer Dyana Gayle
Dyana Gayle

The name Diana has been in use for centuries, but the specific spelling Dyana didn’t appear in the U.S. baby name data until the mid-1940s:

  • 1946: unlisted
  • 1945: unlisted
  • 1944: 7 baby girls named Dyana [debut]
  • 1943: unlisted
  • 1942: unlisted

I think the influence here is was radio vocalist Dyana Gayle.

Her photo ran in the newspapers in August of 1943. At that time, she and singing partner Phil Hanna were featured vocalists on the CBS radio show Your Home Front Reporter. They were only on the show for the several months (July to September) it aired out of Hollywood, though. (The show itself only lasted from May 1943 to August 1944.)

Radio singers Dyana Gayle and Phil Hanna (in 1943)

An article about Dyana from 1945 called her the “servicemen’s singing favorite.” “Dyana’s mail averages some one hundred and fifty letters daily from men in uniform.” It also mentioned that she had a husband (a Marine named Frank), a daughter (named Barbara), and enjoyed cooking, gardening, and playing gin rummy.

Do you like the spelling “Dyana,” or do you prefer “Diana”?

Sources:

  • Dunning, John. On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  • Gordon, Shirley. “Slick Chick First Class.” Radio Life 22 Jul. 1945: 29, 31. (via American Radio History)
  • Banks, Dale. “What’s New from Coast to Coast.” Radio Mirror Nov. 1943: 6, 8-10. (via American Radio History)

Images: Clippings from Radio Life (22 Jul. 1945) and Radio Mirror (Nov. 1943)

Baby names you can type with one hand: Carter, Tessa, John, Poppy

computer keyboard

When you sign your first name, you use one hand. But when you type it, chances are you need to use both hands — even if your name is a short as Emma, Gus or Ty.

Have you ever wondered which names can be touch-typed on the standard QWERTY keyboard with one hand only? Me too, so I came up with some lists…

Left-handed baby names

  • Ace, Ada, Adar, Adeva, Aeta, Afra, Agra, Aqsa, Ara, Arda, Ardra, Artra, Asa, Asees, Astra, Astraea, Astrea, Atef, Ava, Awa, Aza, Azeeza, Azza
  • Babette, Barbara, Barrett, Baxter, Bess, Bette, Brad, Brett
  • Cade, Caesar, Cara, Carter, Casara, Case, Cass, Castara, Cedar, Ceres, Cesar, Cresta
  • Dara, Dart, Dasza, Dat, Dave, Dawes, Dax, Deatra, Debra, Dee, Dessa, Devara, Dexter, Drew
  • Ece, Ed, Edgar, Edvards, Edward, Eevee, Efe, Egas, Erva, Esta, Estes, Etta, Eva, Evart, Eve, Everard, Everett, Everts, Evette, Ewart, Eze, Ezra
  • Faraz, Fedde, Fraser, Frazer, Freeda, Fred, Fredda
  • Gage, Garret, Garrett, Gerard, Grace, Greg, Greta, Grete, Gretta
  • Rafer, Rasa, Rava, Rebeca, Rebecca, Reece, Reed, Reese, Retta, Reva, Rever, Rewa, Rex
  • Sabra, Sada, Sadaf, Sade, Safaa, Sagar, Sage, Sara, Saras, Sardar, Sava, Savva, Sea, Seda, Stassa, Steve, Stewart, Svea, Sverre, Sveva
  • Tad, Tage, Taggart, Tara, Tate, Ted, Tera, Teresa, Terrea, Tess, Tessa, Tex, Trace, Tracee, Trava
  • Vada, Varda, Varvara, Vera, Verree, Vesta, Vester
  • Wade, Wafa, Waqas, Ward, Warre, Wes
  • Xara, Xerra, Xerxes
  • Zada, Zara, Zed, Zedd, Zera

How funny is it that Dexter, which comes directly from the Latin word for “right,” is typed with the left hand only?

Right-handed baby names

  • Hli, Hoku, Holli, Holly, Huy
  • Io, Ioli
  • Jill, Ji-Min, Jim, Jimi, Jimmy, Jin, Jo, John, Johnny, Jon, Joni, Joy, Juho, Juli, Julio, Jun, Juni, Juno
  • Khoi, Kiki, Kiko, Kilik, Kim, Kimi, Kimiko, Kimmy, Kimo, Kin, Kip, Kipp, Kippy, Kiyoko, Kiyomi, Kojo, Kollin, Kumiko, Kuno, Kuuipo, Kyou
  • Lili, Lilikoi, Lilio, Lilly, Lilou, Lily, Lin, Linh, Lino, Loki, Loni, Lonny, Lou, Lulu, Lumi, Lyn, Lynn
  • Miki, Mikki, Mikko, Milly, Milo, Mimi, Min, Minh, Minokimin, Miyu, Molly, Momoko
  • Nhi, Nhu, Nik, Nikhil, Niki, Nikki, Niko, Nikol, Nikon, Nikunj, Niilo, Ninon, Nipin, Nolon, Nuno
  • Olli, Olujimi, Om, Onno
  • Phil, Philip, Phillip, Philo, Phu, Pio, Pliny, Plum, Pol, Polly, Pono, Poppy
  • Umiko, Ummul, Umu, Union
  • Yoko, Yuko, Yumi, Yumiko, Yun

I realize that QWERTY “handedness” is not a major baby-naming factor for most people, but I do think it would be cute to pair a one-handed name with another one-handed name — maybe a surname (Teresa Garza, Phillip Hill) or a twin name (Edward & John, Grace & Lily, Zara & Milo). What do you think?

Image: Adapted from Apple Macintosh Plus Extended Keyboard by MagicTom13 under CC BY-SA 3.0.