Skip to main content
MoZhu MOZHU
Log inFree Chart

Chinese name for Barbara

Barbara in Chinese at a glance

芭芭拉bā bā lā
Meaning
'foreign woman'
Origin
Greek
English pronunciation
BAR-buh-ruh
Used for
girls

Capitals mark the stressed syllable.

How Barbara sounds to native English speakers

Peak popularity
Around the 1940s
Today
Dated, more common among older people
Feels
classicprofessional
At work
Works well

A general impression based mostly on US and UK naming trends, not a statistic; feelings vary by place and age.

Barbara is usually transliterated into Chinese as 芭芭拉 (bā bā lā). That's a sound-for-sound rendering — great for subtitles, not quite a name a Chinese family would choose. Below are real Chinese names that echo the sound of Barbara, each with a surname and a meaningful given name.

Does Barbara suit you? →Type your Chinese name to check how it flows with your surname, or find a better fit

Barbara

潘芭岚

pān bā lán

  • 芭 bā — plantain
  • 岚 lán — mountain mist

Same sound, other characters: 潘芭澜 (澜 great waves) · 潘芭蓝 (蓝 blue)

9 Chinese names that sound like Barbara

Each character was picked for sound first, then meaning; tones and unlucky homophones were checked.

  1. 潘帕兰

    pān pà lán

    • 帕 pà · Water — silk kerchief
    • 兰 lán · Wood — orchid

    Same sound, other characters: 潘帕蓝 (蓝 blue) · 潘帕澜 (澜 great waves)

    surname: 潘

    Make a name card with this →

Also see these names

What does Barbara mean?

Barbara comes from Greek and means 'foreign woman'.

How do you write Barbara in Chinese?

The standard Chinese transliteration is 芭芭拉, read bā bā lā.

How do you pronounce Barbara?

In English it's said BAR-buh-ruh (the capital letters are the stressed syllable).

Is a transliteration the same as a Chinese name?

Not quite. A transliteration copies sounds and is used for foreign names in news and subtitles. A Chinese name follows Chinese naming customs: a common surname plus one or two characters chosen for meaning and sound.

Can I use these names?

Yes — they're suggestions for fun and inspiration. Say them aloud, ask a Chinese-speaking friend, and pick what feels like you.

Is Barbara a good English name?

Barbara peaked around the 1940s and today it's dated, more common among older people. It feels classic, professional; at work: works well.

For entertainment and inspiration. Character meanings follow common dictionaries; naming customs vary.