Lets talk about [name]Barbara[/name] for a minute. What do you think? What would go through your head if you met a little girl named [name]Barbara[/name]? Would you use a nickname? [name]Do[/name] you know anyone with this name? What is your honest impression of [name]Barbara[/name]?
Iām sorry to be a downer, but Iāll be honest. I detest the name [name]Barbara[/name]. I think itās fine on women in their 50s or older, but anyone younger? Bleh. I think of an older, wealthy woman with expensive makeup that makes her face look plastic, and hair that is obviously dyed and permed. She is cold and cranky, with a fake smile. Iāve always felt bad for [name]George[/name] W. [name]Bush[/name]'s daughter [name]Barbara[/name], with a twin sister awesomely named [name]Jenna[/name]. I think my hatred for the name [name]Barbara[/name] comes from my hatred of my own name, which is a similarly old-sounding name that sounds like it would be [name]Barbara[/name]'s ugly sister. My twin sister got the fun '80s name, and I got stuck with a name along the lines of [name]Debra[/name] or [name]Denise[/name]. [name]Barbie[/name] as a given name could almost be cute were it not for the horrible dolls. But as for [name]Barbara[/name], I unfortunately am just not into it. Perhaps if I saw it on the right girl, I could be swayed. But it would have to be a really amazing girl to change my opinion. Lol
Personally, I donāt much like [name]Barbara[/name]. I think thatās partly because itās dated, like [name]Scott[/name] for a guy, and partly because it looks and sounds too much like the word from the same rootābarbarian.
If I met a little girl named [name]Barbara[/name], Iād do a double-take, thinking I was in the wrong decade; but then Iād be impressed that her parents had the guts to use an unfashionable name.
I donāt think Iād use a nickname. The full [name]Barbara[/name] isnāt ugly, but I think nicknames [name]Barb[/name] and [name]Barbie[/name] are; and most of the Barbaras Iāve met are called [name]Barb[/name]. [name]Barrie[/name] could be cute, but I think Iād avoid it since [name]Barry[/name] is a male name.
I think I have a few Barbaras in my family tree, but the one Iām thinking of right now is a sweet middle-aged acquaintance who usually goes by [name]Barb[/name]. I recently met her twin sister, [name]Brenda[/name]ā[name]Barbara[/name] and [name]Brenda[/name].
My honest impressionāsee paragraphs 1 & 2, above.
Best wishes!
My Auntie who is 70 this year is called [name]Barbara[/name] so as I was growing up it was always an older ladyās name, I never even thought twice on it being used on anyone born nowadays! However, my sister-in-law (who is not related to my auntie) gave her daughter the middle name [name]Barbara[/name], and [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Barbara[/name] is now about eighteen months old, so that got me thining about the name [name]Barbara[/name] for the up and coming generation. Still donāt think itāll make my list anytime soon though 
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Not a fan of [name]Barbara[/name] at all.
My Momās name is [name]Barbara[/name] and I know several other Barbaras in their late 50ās to 80ās. I canāt say that I think itās ready for a comeback. Also, I detest the nickname [name]Barb[/name].
I guess itās not on many peopleās lists Thanks for the feedback, more is welcome!
I donāt like it beacause everyone I ever met was pretty much an awful human being. They all have huge egos and know everything. Iām sure not every [name]Barbara[/name] is this way but it clouds my judgement. [name]Saint[/name] [name]Barbara[/name] has a wonderful story if you are interested in that :). I think it could be a nice mn!
I like [name]Barbara[/name]. The nn. [name]Berry[/name] is cute.
[name]Barbara[/name]:
_spelled easily
_pronounced easily
_long history
_fun sound
I think it could be revived.
Iāve never met a [name]Barbara[/name] and Iām not really a fan of this name.
My seventy-nine year old Grannie is named [name]Barbara[/name]. And as much as I love my Grannie, I hate her name. It brings to mind a stereotypical fifties housewife with the pearls and the hair that would crack if you hit it with a hammer. I donāt think itās anywhere near ready to be revived, and I donāt like many of itās nicknames.
Wow, that was harsh! [name]Hope[/name] it wasnāt too rough!
So, all the hipsters/adventurous namers are all OVER names like [name]Ruth[/name] and [name]Agnes[/name] and [name]Esther[/name] and [name]Edith[/name] right now, but there are some that are still not quite cool yet. Thats the mom names. Not moms of youngsters, but moms of us. My mom is [name]Jill[/name]. [name]Jill[/name] is not cool. My aunts are [name]Beth[/name] (not cool), [name]Marla[/name] (not cool; this is also my first name but I donāt go by it), and [name]Deborah[/name] called [name]Debbie[/name] (neither of which are cool).
These are the next names that are gonna be cool, but itās gonna be awhile. It doesnāt even matter what [name]Barbara[/name]'s merits are in and of itself. Like most names, itās hard to see beyond the context. [name]Barbara[/name] is your mom or aunt, or maybe grandma, and sheās gonna stay that way for a while.
Honestly, if I saw a little girl [name]Barbara[/name] it would be sort of delightful, the way things are delightful when theyāre TOTALLY unexpected.
These are some of the names that are so uncool that you would out-hipster yourself if you used them. Or maybe theyāll never be cool again. But maybe - just maybe - if you use it now, when your kid is, like, 15, sheāll be like a 15-year-old [name]Emmaline[/name] or [name]Olive[/name] today, just sooo ahead of the awesome name curve.
[name]Barbara[/name]
[name]Deborah[/name]
[name]Linda[/name]
[name]Karen[/name]
[name]Susan[/name]
[name]Janice[/name]
[name]Jill[/name]
[name]Vanna[/name]
[name]Kay[/name]
[name]Leslie[/name]
[name]Cindy[/name]
[name]Wanda[/name]
[name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Nancy[/name]
There are also some - like [name]Lauren[/name], [name]Ashley[/name], [name]Brittany[/name], and [name]Melissa[/name] - that will probably be what our kids name their kids, and by then theyāll sound like old lady names to us.
Speaking of which, there are names that are STILL not cool, even to hipsters, but once a high-ranking hipster uses it everybody will be all over it.
[name]Mildred[/name]
[name]Ethel[/name]
[name]Edna[/name]
[name]Bertha[/name]
[name]Dorcas[/name]
[name]Lois[/name]
[name]Myra[/name]
This is all hypothetical, of course. I may be full of crap.
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I am rethinking [name]Barbara[/name]. My bestfriendās name is [name]Barbara[/name] ([name]Barb[/name]), it has a positive connotation. My Great aunt was [name]Barbara[/name] with [name]Bobbie[/name] as a nickname. I think it is a few years off for a first name revival, but ripe for middle name usage. Also found earlier comment about barbarian sound alike, which is exactly where the comes from, āstrangerā.
I like it. I donāt really care that itās an old lady name.
This is my husbandās grandmaās name so I thought it would be cute to have a [name]Barbara[/name] nicknamed [name]Bunny[/name], maybe [name]Bee[/name] when she got older, but alas, our last name starts with a J and thatās no good. I think itās a fine name, unexpected, that would grow on people when itās on a little girl. So long as [name]Barbie[/name] is never a nickname.
I donāt have a problem with the dated aspect of it but I just canāt get into the sound. [name]Barbara[/name] sounds so harsh to me - I think itās the ābarbā part.
I say [name]Barbara[/name] like ā[name]Bar[/name]-bar-ahā though I think most people say ā[name]Barb[/name]-ruhā. I donāt know if that makes a difference. I agree [name]Barb[/name] is a dated nickname but I love the ideas of [name]Bobbie[/name], [name]Berry[/name], and [name]Bee[/name]. I think [name]Bea[/name], [name]Bebe[/name], and [name]Babs[/name] could work, too. Thanks for all the feedback, Berries! More is welcome
[name]Barbara[/name] is my momās name and I have considered using it in the middle as a way to honor her. It is, however, extremely dated.
I know Iām rather late in this game, but Iām facing a similar issue. My momās name is [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] and I would love to honor her, but the name itself is a struggle. I agree, itās a mom-name, and one that was trendy at the time so wonāt likely come back around for awhile. Different variants might work, though. For example, [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] contains similar aspects/sounds but comes with the currently popular [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]-type nicknames. I also think [name_u]Berry[/name_u] is adorable as a nn, and even could hold itās own as a middle (or first, if youāre particularly bold).
[name_f]Every[/name_f] [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] I know is older (55-75) and the implied nickname of [name_f]Barbie[/name_f] (which the [name_f]Barbara[/name_f] in my family tells me she detests and was called often) is a real turn-off. I personally donāt like it and I think itās overall dated. Itās going to way of [name_f]Edna[/name_f]- an old-lady name that will probably fall into obscurity.