How old is someone named Barbara?
The average Barbara is 72 years old.
Half of all living Barbaras are between 66 and 80.
When was Barbara popular?
Barbara peaked in 1947 and has been given less and less ever since. Only 264 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1947 · The most popular names of the 1940s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 3,999 | 0 |
| 1910s | 23,736 | 0 |
| 1920s | 97,471 | 2,400 |
| 1930s | 297,608 | 70,000 |
| 1940s | 426,429 | 240,000 |
| 1950s | 346,415 | 270,000 |
| 1960s | 160,276 | 140,000 |
| 1970s | 42,399 | 40,000 |
| 1980s | 19,252 | 19,000 |
| 1990s | 8,885 | 8,700 |
| 2000s | 4,730 | 4,700 |
| 2010s | 3,263 | 3,200 |
| 2020s | 1,765 | 1,800 |
How many Barbaras are still alive?
About 800,000 Barbaras are alive in the US today. That's 55% of the roughly 1.4 million babies named Barbara since 1880.
Roughly half of all Barbaras ever born are still living.
What generation is the name Barbara?
More than half of living Barbaras are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Barbara an old name?
Yes. Barbara is older than 99 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Barbara will be 77 in 2056, so the name is aging slowly.
Is Barbara a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely girls: 99.8% of living Barbaras are women.
Names the same age as Barbara
NAME TWIN
Barbara's name twin is Joyce. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Joyce's age curve is the closest match to Barbara's: 95% alike.
Compare: Barbara vs. Betty
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Questions about the name Barbara
How old is the average Barbara?
The average Barbara in the US is 72 years old. The median is 74, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Barbara?
About 800,000 Barbaras are alive in the US today, out of roughly 1.4 million babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Barbara most popular?
In 1947, when about 49,000 baby girls were named Barbara.
Is Barbara a Boomer name?
Yes. About 60% of living Barbaras are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this