Total births
7,758
Girls' name · since 1882
Barbra
Since 1882, U.S. Social Security records show 7,758 babies named Barbra, peaking in 1966. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 7,758
- total births
- 1882–2014
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 24%
- born in that decade
Barbra is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 7,758 have been recorded since 1882.
Barbra has 7,758 recorded births among girls since 1882, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2014.
- 7,758 total births
- 1882–2014 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 24% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
7,758 girls have been named Barbra since 1882, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2014.
- 7,758
- total births
- 1882–2014
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 24%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Barbra was born in this single decade.
1966
Single peak year
343 babies were named Barbra in 1966 - its busiest year on record.
Barbra's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Barbra's full recorded timeline at 1960, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1966 peak of 343 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Barbra at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1966
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1882
Barbra popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2014
- Peak year (1966)
- 343
- Annual births at peak, across 133 years of records
Barbra by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Barbra's strongest decade.
1,890 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Barbra births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 111
1910s
111 births
- 1920s 311
1920s
311 births
- 1930s 720
1930s
720 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,142 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,665 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,890 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,116 births
- 1980s 514
1980s
514 births
- 1990s 187
1990s
187 births
- 2000s 72
2000s
72 births
- 2010s 15
2010s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,890 births (24% of all-time use).
How Barbra compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Barbra's total volume
Barbra vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Barbra by state
Where Barbra concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 515 | 6.6% |
| #2 | California | | 451 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 387 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 341 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 331 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 310 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 203 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 120 | 1.5% |
New York share of Barbra's total US births 6.6%
Even split
515 of 7,758 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Barbra appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Barbra? ▼
Barbra has been given to 7,758 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2014. 343 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
When was Barbra most popular? ▼
Barbra was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,890 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
Where is Barbra most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Barbra are New York (515 births), California (451 births), Texas (387 births).
How long has the name Barbra been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Barbra since 1882 -- 133 years through the most recent 2014 data.
What names are similar to Barbra? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Barbara, Barbie, Barb, Bari, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Barbra's data
- Barbra's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,890 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Barbras (515 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Barbra
Nearby Names Like Barbra
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Barbra
Barbara Girl
#852 1,436,695 births
Barbie Girl
#3138 4,204 births
Barb Girl
3,853 births
Bari Girl
#12295 1,806 births
Barrie Girl
1,708 births
Compare Barbra side by side: Barbra vs Barbara Barbra vs Barbie Barbra vs Barb
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Barbra: Baby Name Since 1882 - 7,758 Births, Peak 1966." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/barbra. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Barbra draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.