Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Barbara” come from?

Barbara (German) comes from Latin barbara, from Latin barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος, from Proto-Indo-European balb-.

Ancestry of “Barbara”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbarbaraa wild, savage, cruel, barbarous, shameless, or...
2Latinbarbarusforeign; savage; uncivilized
3Ancient Greekβάρβαροςnon-Greek-speaking, foreign; barbaric, brutal,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbalb-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European balb- →