[1] In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition, Saint Barbara (Greek: Ἁγία Βαρβάρα) was imprisoned in a tower by her father.

Early Christians occasionally referred to themselves as "barbarians" in opposition to the pagan Romans and Greeks.

[3] Today, the name Barbara or its variants are commonly given to female babies born in such countries as Chile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Russia, among others.

[8] The popular film Barbie, in which the main character begins using the name Barbara, came out in 2023.

In Italy, Barbara was particularly popular during the 1970s: it was among the top 10 names given to girls born from 1969 to 1977, rising to 2nd place (behind Maria) in 1971.