It was first bred in the town of Uccle on the outskirts of Brussels, in central Belgium, in the early years of the twentieth century.

The Barbu d'Uccle was created by Michael Van Gelder of Uccle, Belgium, in the early years of the twentieth century,[9] with help and advice from Robert Pauwels and Louis Vander Snickt.

[10]: 52 The Barbu d'Uccle has a low posture, a full beard and a muff; the legs are heavily feathered.

[3] The Poultry Club of Great Britain suggests a weight in the range 790–910 g for males and 680–790 g for females.

[5] The American Poultry Association lists seven varieties: black (1996), golden neck (1996), millefleur (1914), mottled (1996), porcelain (1965), self blue (1996), and white (1981).