Fun Facts About the Name Barbee
- 113 babies named Barbee: U.S. records list 113 babies given the name Barbee from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Barbee Mean?
Barbee is used as a feminine given name mainly as a respelling of Barbie, a pet form of Barbara. Barbara comes from Latin Barbara, which was taken from Greek barbaros, meaning "foreign" or "strange." The Greek word was applied to anyone who did not speak Greek, and it most likely imitates the sound of speech the Greeks found unintelligible (bar-bar). The literal sense of the name is therefore "foreign woman" or "stranger."
Barbee also exists independently as an English surname. Its derivation is not firmly settled, and it should not be assumed to share the origin of Barbara or Barbie simply because the words look alike.
Barbee Name History & Origins
The name Barbara was borne by an early Christian martyr, Saint Barbara, venerated from late antiquity in both the Eastern and Western churches. Her cult helped carry the name through medieval Europe, and Barbara was in ordinary use in England by the later Middle Ages.
Barbie arose as an English pet form of Barbara, using the familiar -ie ending. Barbee is a variant spelling of that pet form, and like many surnames and pet forms it has also been taken as a first name. The best-known use of the spelling Barbie is the fashion doll introduced in 1959, which was named after the daughter of its creator; the pet form itself was in use as a personal name before the doll appeared.
Barbee is also long established as a surname in the English-speaking world, especially in the United States. As a given name, it can be understood either as a spelling of the Barbara pet form or as a surname passed into first-name use, and the two routes are difficult to tell apart in individual cases.
How Popular is the Name Barbee?
Barbee has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1952. Its best rank was #3,161 in 1929.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | #10,348 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #6,608 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,797 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #3,943 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #6,147 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #5,353 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #5,806 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #3,387 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #5,472 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #4,349 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #3,916 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #4,022 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #4,060 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1941 | #4,463 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1938 | #3,884 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #4,341 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #3,161 | 9 | 0.0008% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Barbee Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Barbee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Barbee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.