Irish girl name
Bairbre Name Meaning, Origin & Pronunciation
Bairbre means foreign woman. The Irish form of Barbara, from the Greek for foreign woman
Bairbre is the Irish version of Barbara, whose Greek root barbaros meant foreign or stranger. The saint Barbara has long been venerated, and the Irish form has been in use for a long time. It has a distinctive sound, with the rolling r in the middle and a soft ending. Bairbre is uncommon enough to feel original, yet it is easily connected to a more familiar name. It is a good choice for a family wanting to honour a relative named Barbara with a form that is clearly Irish.
Computer-generated voice, as a guide to pronunciation.
Variants of Bairbre
BarbaraBarbre
Bairbre popularity: Ireland vs the US
In 1995 Bairbre ranked #516 in Ireland (3 babies). It is too rare to appear in US rankings.
Ireland (girls)
Rank among babies of the same sex, 1 = most popular (log scale). Ranks below #10,000 sit on the bottom edge. Gaps mean fewer than 3 Irish or 5 US babies that year.
Data: US Social Security Administration (public domain) and Central Statistics Office, Ireland (CC BY 4.0). Irish accented spellings (such as Síle) are only recorded from 2018, so earlier years combine spellings.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bairbre mean?
Bairbre means "foreign woman". The Irish form of Barbara, from the Greek for foreign woman.
How do you pronounce Bairbre?
Bairbre is pronounced BAR-bra.
What is the origin of Bairbre?
Bairbre is of Irish origin. The Irish form of Barbara, from the Greek for foreign woman.