Is Barb a boy or girl name?

Barb is a girl’s name. Of the 3,853 Americans recorded with the name since 1880, 100.0% were girls and 0.0% were boys.

Barb

Recorded 1938–1972 · United States

Barb was most popular in 1960, when 493 American babies were given the name — ranking #780 that year. It was not recorded in 2025. Across 1880–2025 the Social Security Administration has recorded 3,853 people named Barb.

Barb over time

Births per year. The dot marks Barb’s peak in 1960. Gaps are years the SSA suppressed, which it does for any name given to fewer than five babies.

Is Barb a boy’s or a girl’s name?

Across the whole record Barb is a girl’s name — 100.0% of the 3,853 Americans given it were girls and 0.0% were boys.

Counted from every US birth the Social Security Administration recorded under this name, so it reflects use rather than opinion. A name given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year is withheld at source and is not counted.

Names that peaked alongside Barb

Where Barb is most concentrated

How much more common the name is in each state than across the country as a whole.

Explore further

See Barb on the interactive charts

Source: U.S.A. Social Security Administration. Years 1880–2025. namelegacy.org