Barbra is a female given name of Hebrew origin and means "foreign woman." The name has roots in the Bible, where it is mentioned as a shortened form of the Hebrew name Barrat or the Aramaic name Barrakhab. In the Old Testament, Barbra was the wife of Abraham's nephew Lot.
Throughout history, the name Barbra has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most famous bearers of this name is American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, born Barbara Joan Streisand in 1942. She became known professionally by her first name Barbra, which she started using around the age of 13 or 14.
The popularity of the name Barbra has varied over time and across different cultures. In some countries, such as the United States, it was more common during the mid-20th century. Today, it is still used but less frequently than in previous decades.
In terms of pronunciation, the name Barbra can vary depending on cultural influences and personal preference. In Hebrew, it is pronounced as.barˈbɾa/, while in English-speaking countries, it is often pronounced /ˈbærbrə/.
The name Barbra has had a varied history of popularity in the United States since 1882. The first recorded birth was in 1882 with only five occurrences that year, and this pattern continued until 1900 where there were five births each year.
However, things began to change significantly from 1911 onwards. That year saw seven births, which increased to ten the following year. This upward trend continued, with a notable spike in popularity between 1927 and 1948. During this period, the number of newborn girls named Barbra doubled every two years on average.
The highest recorded number of births for the name Barbra was in 1948 with 174 babies given this name. This marked a significant peak in popularity that continued into the early 1950s, though it began to decline afterwards.
The 1960s saw a resurgence in the popularity of the name Barbra, with over 200 births recorded each year between 1964 and 1972. However, this period was relatively short-lived as popularity started to wane again from the late 1970s onwards.
Since then, the number of babies named Barbra has remained consistently low in the United States. From 1983 onwards, there were fewer than 50 births per year, and from 2004 until the most recent data available in 2014, there have been five or fewer newborn girls named Barbra each year.
In total, since 1882 up to 2014, there have been a grand total of 7,758 babies born in the United States with the name Barbra.