Pronunciation
Bar-bra / Bar-breh
These spellings are a guide to the sound. Irish pronunciation can vary by dialect.
Meaning
Stranger or foreign woman
Alternate spellings
Báirbre; Barbara
Fun fact
Bairbre is the Irish form of Barbara and has a long history of use in Connacht. You'll sometimes see the older spelling Báirbre with a fada. The two forms belong to the same name family.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Bairbre, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
Less than 3 babies were registered with this spelling in each of these years.
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2023 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2022 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2021 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2018 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2013 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2012 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2011 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2010 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2009 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2008 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2007 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2006 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2005 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2004 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2003 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2002 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2001 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2000 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1999 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1998 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1997 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1996 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1995 | 3 | #516 |
| 1994 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1993 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1992 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1991 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1990 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1989 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1988 | 5 | #407 |
| 1987 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1986 | 3 | #521 |
| 1985 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1984 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1983 | 6 | #401 |
| 1982 | 3 | #523 |
| 1981 | 6 | #386 |
| 1980 | 4 | #483 |
| 1979 | 5 | #420 |
| 1978 | 6 | #388 |
| 1977 | 5 | #429 |
| 1976 | 7 | #344 |
| 1975 | 8 | #321 |
| 1974 | 3 | #490 |
| 1973 | 5 | #402 |
| 1972 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1971 | 3 | #466 |
| 1970 | 6 | #326 |
| 1969 | 3 | #443 |
| 1968 | 3 | #401 |
| 1967 | 4 | #354 |
| 1966 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1965 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1964 | Less than 3 | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.
