everyone does the cats bum face when I say Barbara...

[ikeepchachachanging]

Name changed for this as will definitely out myself. Announced baby's name as Barbara to honour relative but have got lots of . One person says dd will get bullied.

AIBU to call her this? I think it sounds lovely!

I went to school with a girl called Barbara in the 90s. We didn't tease her, but she was called Barbie, which she didn't like.

I like it!

Yep Royle family sitcom.

''I'd like a recline Bar Bear raaaa!''

sorry
It doesn't sound vintage, it sounds frumpy and dated.

You are blazing a trail- just as Rubys, Graces, Pearls and Mabels are all either very old or very young, the next batch of great grans and new babies will be Barbaras, Sandras, Cheryls and Suzannes. It's a lovely name, much nicer than some of the strange inventions around.
You might choose a less unusual middle name for when she announces whe hates it. Margaret has to be due a revival?

You are ten years ahead of the trend...

I have a niece called this. She is a teenager now. AFAIK she never got bullied. I think it is a nice name.

Personally, I love the name Barbara (would have been on my list had we had a girl).
It's not currently in fashion, but so what? I reckon it will be again soon.
People can be so rude. Try not to let it bother you.

Sorry i'm another one who would do her best to contain the cats bum face!

I'd put it in the same category as Hilary and Lesley, there are so many nice names to choose from.

^^

Told you trendy London peeps would love the name Barbara! Assuming Zone2mum is London based of course.

I know a Barbs.
She is the coolest most popular person i know.

Have name changed for this as my name is Barbara and I don't want to link it to my usual user name.

I'm in my 40's. When I was growing up - there was Carry on Laughing Barbara Windsor, Barbara Woodhouse who did some sort of dog training show, Barbie obviously, Barbara from the Good Life and Barbara Bush.
In 40 odd years, those are the only examples that anyone can give me of Barbara and they are all dead or heading that way.
I wouldn't say I got horrendously bullied but I did grow up with a lifelong aversion to pink and anything remotely Barbie related. There was a fair amount of "why don't you have tits like Barbie then" from drunken morons and BarbieGirl was sung at me endlessly.
My parents hated anyone to shorten my name and religiously pulled them up on it so I was always called Barbara unless someone was taking the piss.
My husband has shortened it completely to B and it has caught on with all my friends. He'll call me anything other than Barbara to be honest.

I'm sorry, I don't like my name very much and I'd change it in a heartbeat other than it would upset my parents so much. They had no other reason for choosing it other than they liked it. It just doesn't feel like me but if I'd been christened Mabel too in the 70's I doubt I'd like that much either. At least the young Mabel's of today don't have to see a Mabel equivalent of Barbara Windsor popping up selling scratch cards on tv in that horrendous screechy voice.

Maybe it's starting to "trend", its the second time I've seen it pop up recently. I'd hate it if my kids called their kids Barbara to honour me though. Sorry if that's all a complete downer.

It's quite cute actually

Nothing wrong with the name. There are still plenty of adult and fictional Barbaras around so most people will surely assume she's named after someone you know. Seems a bit weird to be advised to wait until it comes back into fashion - somebody has to start these fashions. Why not be that person? (There are of course certain limits to this approach. Ethelburger is unlikely to make a major comeback any time soon. Or have I missed the announcement...)

As for the being bullied argument, kids will bully for any reason or none if they're so inclined. If she doesn't have a name they can somehow drag something unpleasant or suggestive out of they'll have a go at her hair or her clothes or the size of her feet. It's a damn' silly reason to reject a fairly mainstream name.

I know a baby who was given Barbara as her middle name last year. And then I heard of another with Barbara as her middle name this year. So I think its coming back, as a middle name at least.

Here are the Scottish figures. They don't distinguish between first and middle names, so most of them may be middle names.

2008 - 37
2009 - 60
2010 - 69
2011 - 56
2012 - 83
2013 - 78

I think you're ahead of the trend.

I really don't think anyone would be bullied for being called Barbara. It isn't an inherently laughable name and sounds dated to people our age, not children, who won't have come across the references.

Ps Bobbie is a cute nickname like a previous poster said, esp if there's a super hero inspiration

I love the name Barbara. If we'd had another girl it would have been my first choice. I also like Pamela, and Christine. I like the names cool girls in the 60s might have had!

Sorry Blahblah , cross posted with you, that wasn't meant to contradict your post. I am sorry about your experiences.

Gosh, is Mabel making a comeback then? Now that's a name I wouldn't have expected to come back into fashion. Couldn't tell you why though, there's nothing wrong with it as such.

Pamela is a brilliant name. So 1950's glam.

I like Barbara. I also secretly have a thing about Pamela.

If I had two DDs, I may very well have done "Pam and Babs", just for the sheer fantastic "Pam-n-Babs-ness" of it.

Margaret has to be due a revival

My DM's name. She hates it.

I like it. Bear in mind that names go in cycles so by the time she's in secondary school it will probably be all the rage.

And also that kids her age won't have the same prejudices of it being a 'Mum name' that people on here seem to have. Because they're a different generation.

Sorry I don't like it I have never met a Barbara under 60 again sorry but it's your baby you can name her what you like of course. I have an old fashioned name I was given it in the mid 80s most people with it are a lot older and I was teased nn is much better though.

I love love love it. Great name, brill name. Can you tell I might possibly have the same name. I was named after my Gran as I was born on her birthday.
Growing up I liked the fact nobody had the same name. My name gets shortened to Babs, The Babsie and Barbs but most folk use Barbara. I was never bullied or teased about my name.
And nobody mixes me up for a little old lady.