What do you think of the name [name]Barbara[/name]?
Is it a vintage gem ready for a comeback, or does it simply conjure up images of little old women in nursing homes?
I’d like to think [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Eden[/name] and [name]Barbra[/name] Streisand would be positive associations… but is it simply TOO old to make a comeback? Would you pronounce it [name]Bar[/name]-[name]Bar[/name]-[name]Ah[/name] or just [name]Bar[/name]-Bra?
Thanks!
[name]Hi[/name]
I would Pronounce it [name]Bar[/name]-Bra
I personally [name]Don[/name]'t like the name but if it had a family connection I would use it as a mn.
I don’t think it’s quite ready for a comeback yet, sorry.
hmmm unfortunately…cant quite say I see it as a cool name…maybe in ten or twenty years?
[name]Hi[/name]
My middle name is [name]Barbara[/name] and I use to hate it, but I don’t mind it now. I would spell it [name]Barbra[/name] to give it a cool vibe.
A lot of old fashioned names are fresh again and bring a whole new vibe with them… [name]Barbara[/name] still hasn’t shed her previous dowdy feeling… Sorry, I don’t think it’s quite ready for a comeback.
A few days ago I saw former First Lady [name]Laura[/name] [name]Bush[/name] & her daughter [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Bush[/name] being interviewed, and I actually said “it’s unfortunate that they named her [name]Barbara[/name], even though it was after [name]George[/name]'s mom.”
A lot of old fashioned names are fresh again and bring a whole new vibe with them… [name]Barbara[/name] still hasn’t shed her previous dowdy feeling… Sorry, I don’t think it’s quite ready for a comeback.
A few days ago I saw former First Lady [name]Laura[/name] [name]Bush[/name] & her daughter [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Bush[/name] being interviewed, and I actually said “it’s unfortunate that they named her [name]Barbara[/name], even though it was after [name]George[/name]'s mom.”[/quote]
[name]Ah[/name] thats really interesting, I was hoping that it would be a case of people changing their minds once they met a pretty, young girl with the name. But maybe not…
Thanks for all the feedback so far, please do keep it coming! I’m curious to see your opinions. I go back and forth on the name: sometimes I think its rather beautiful as it reminds me of royalty and beautiful women such as [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Eden[/name]. Other days I see how unfortunately clunky and old it is… I’m undecided as to whether to use it or not.
I was encouraged with the likes of [name]Lillian[/name], [name]Ava[/name] etc making such a huge comeback recently. Its so popular in the likes of [name]Italy[/name] too… so again I was encouraged by that, it made it feel a little exotic!
Personally I think it’s possible that [name]Barbara[/name] could make a comeback in the next 10 yrs, once people get tired of the vintage names they’re using now they’re going to start searching for other options
I don’t even think [name]Barbara[/name]'s in the nursing home yet. She’s still playing bridge on Friday afternoons and kvetching with her friends about how her kids never visit anymore.
Definitely old lady to me. Give it another twenty years. Maybe your kids will think it’s cool.
I know a family where the parents are [name]Barb[/name] and [name]Benny[/name] in their fifties and the daughters in their late twenties are named [name]Brenda[/name] and [name]Bonnie[/name]. Because of them I acociate [name]Barb[/name]/[name]Barbara[/name] with a beautiful middle aged woman.
I don’t think it’s quite old lady yet, I know Barbaras aged early thirties through late sixties. It’s more middle-aged in my opinion (not that people in their early 30s are middle aged). I think it may be a few generations before it’s cool vintage.
This is just me being an ancient history freak, but I can’t ever hear the name [name]Babara[/name] without knowing it has the same root as ‘barbarian’ (which originally simply meant foreign, or not Greek.) My favourite theory about how the word was coined is that the Greeks didn’t understand what foreigners were saying, it just sounded like “bah bah bah” hence, barbarian. So whenever I encounter a [name]Barbara[/name], I have to suppress an extremely childlike urge to go “BAH BAH BAH.”
All the Barbaras I know are the same age as the Gillians, Lindas, Karens, and Susans etc, that is to say, fifty-ish. That’s not a bad thing, but I don’t think the last generation of [name]Barbara[/name]'s are nearly old enough to be considered old ladies, so I think the name needs more time to age, and become old lady, and THEN vintage. I’d give it at least another 20 years.
I think [name]Barbara[/name] needs one more generation. Isn’t it funny how names cycle around? In 20 years time, things change so much.
I like it very much! Very beautiful!!!
I love [name]Barbara[/name] ([name]Bar[/name]-bra) I met a two year old with this name. Blonde curly hair, blue eyes, sweet smile a few months ago named after her Grandma and I love it. She goes by [name]Barbie[/name]. I only know older woman with the name you know like 50-60’s not old, old. I don’t believe names become dated they don’t come with expiration dates. They are just used whenever. I think its great. The spelling is easy to remember, its different and unique. I would use it:) It’s actually on our list.
I really dislike the name [name]Barbara[/name]. Almost every [name]Barbara[/name] I’ve ever met has been really, really mean. Really mean. And if they’re not mean, they just aren’t very interesting at all. And to me it just doesn’t have a pretty sound at all ([name]Bar[/name]-bra).I’m sorry, that seems super mean. I did know a [name]Barb[/name] who was my boss’ wife, she was nice but intimidating. It reminds me of bras and Babar and the song [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Ann[/name] by the [name]Beach[/name] Boys. I just don’t like it and I think it’s going to take a long time before it sounds fresh again. I think more than 20 years, since most Barbaras are only in their 50-60s. The “old lady” names that are so popular don’t even seem like old lady names to me because I guess I’m too young to have known old ladies with names like [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Pearl[/name] etc. I think that’s the key, the people who think the names are “old lady” names are the parents of the ones doing the naming, so it’s in their memory. [name]Barbara[/name] will be an old lady name to OUR kids generation, since it’s a middle aged name for us… So it’s unlikely it will even come back for our kids to use… maybe you’ll get a great-granddaughter named [name]Barbara[/name], and then it will be super cool.
BUT! (There’s always a silver lining!) [name]Just[/name] because it’s not “cool vintage” yet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it. If you used it she would most likely be the only one she knows. I’m sure a little girl would enjoy the nickname [name]Barbie[/name]. There’s also [name]Bobby[/name] or [name]Bebe[/name]. While [name]Barbara[/name] isn’t my favorite, I’d much rather meet a little [name]Barbara[/name] than a little [name]Nevaeh[/name]!