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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Barbara f. Greek βαρβαρα 'foreign, stranger'.

The name of a 3rd C saint, one of the fourteen Holy Helpers, important in both the western and eastern churches; a 15th C Holy Roman Empress, and a 16th C queen of Poland.

The name was never common in the early Middle Ages.

England
Latin
1559 Barbara (nom) StMartF p. 60
Dutch
1594 Barbara AuFr Beck
Early Modern English
1530 Barbara LIWill-III p. 21; 1542 Barbary RegIng p. 2; 1556 Barbary ibid. p. 4, StAnthonlin p. 11; 1559 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 30; 1561 Barbara ibid. p. 111; 1563 Barbery StAnthonlin p. 15; 1566 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 4; 1567 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 116; 1568 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 5; 1570 Barbara ibid. p. 39; 1572 Barbery StAnthonlin p. 22; 1573 Barbery ibid. p. 23; 1574 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 41; 1578 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 92; 1581 Barbara ibid. p. 3, Barbery StAnthonlin p. 28; 1582 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 8; 1583 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 45; 1584 Barbarey Bar-in-El p. 25; 1585 Barbary ibid. p. 14; 1588 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 92; 1590 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 20, bruton-vol1 p. 50, Barbary OrpingtonKe p. 8; 1591 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 23; 1593 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 116; 1594 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 29, bruton-vol1 p. 53; 1595 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 3, bruton-vol1 p. 54; 1596 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 34; 1597 Barbara bruton-vol1 p. 11; 1598 Barbara HAmar-vol9 p. 93; 1599 Barbara DEmar-vol2 p. 40, Barbary OrpingtonKe p. 9
Estonia
Middle Low German
1524x1532 Barbala (nom) Saareste1923b p. 139
1524x1532 Barbar (nom) Saareste1923b p. 138
France
Middle French
1562 Barbe RegPCC-1 p. 8; 1563 Barbe ibid. p. 41; 1564 Barbe ibid. p. 67; 1565 Barbe ibid. p. 114; 1566 Barbe ibid. p. 223; 1567 Barbe ibid. p. 310; 1568 Barbe ibid. p. 380; 1570 Barbe ibid. p. 426, Berbe ibid. p. 434; 1571 Barbe ibid. p. 438
Germany
Early New High German
1403 Barbara (gen) mairhofer DCLXXIV; 1497 Barbara Nurn1497 70
1497 Barb Nurn1497 1793
Latvia
Middle Low German
1460x1465 Barbara Mettig1892 p. 5; 1461 Barbara ibid. p. 11; 1462 Barbare ibid. p. 11; 1510 Barbara ibid. p. 5; 1515 Barbara ibid. p. 7; 1516 Barbara ibid. p. 6; 1545 Barbara Arbusow p. 99; 1549 Barbara ibid. p. 100; 1558 Barballa Arbuzov1920 p. 46
1510 Barbar Mettig1892 p. 11; 1511 Barbar ibid. p. 5; 1515 Barbar ibid. p. 7; 1523 Barbar Arbusow p. 99
Scotland
Scots
1538 Barbara PGB; 1565 Barbara ibid.
Spain
Catalan
1510 Barbera valencia1510 4049
Spanish
1576 Barbola Catalogo-5.2 3936
Cite as: R. Le Get, S.L. Uckelman. "Barbara". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2016, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2016/3/name/Barbara.