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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.