Barth
Of German derivation, meaning hilltop or exalted one.
Name Census estimates that about 317 living Americans carry the first name Barth. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Barth today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Barth births was 1955 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Barth. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Barth is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Barths were born before 1968.
People living today
317
~ 1 in 1,081,244 Americans
Peak year
1955
26 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1976 SSA rank
#4,475
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Barth: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Barth from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 156 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Barth by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Barth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Barths live
Origin
Meaning and history of Barth
The name Barth originates from the German language and is believed to have its roots in the Old German word 'baro,' which means 'bear.' This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with strength, courage, and resilience, traits often attributed to bears in ancient Germanic cultures.
During the Middle Ages, the name Barth gained popularity across various Germanic regions, particularly in areas now part of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was often used as a given name for male children, with variations such as Bartho and Barthel also emerging.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Barth can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 11th century. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition and usage during the medieval period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Barth. One of the most prominent figures was Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles in the New Testament. His name is derived from the Aramaic form of Barth, 'Bar-Tolmai,' which means 'son of Tolmai.'
Another prominent figure was Barthold Schwarz (c. 1310-1384), a German monk and alchemist often credited with the discovery of gunpowder in Europe. His contributions to the development of firearms and explosives had a significant impact on military tactics and warfare.
In the realm of philosophy and theology, Karl Barth (1886-1968), a Swiss Reformed theologian, stands out as a towering figure of the 20th century. His works, such as the multi-volume "Church Dogmatics," have had a profound influence on modern Christian thought and theology.
Barth van der Neer (1603-1677) was a Dutch landscape painter known for his masterful depictions of moonlit scenes and atmospheric effects. His works are celebrated for their technical mastery and poetic sensitivity, capturing the ethereal beauty of the Dutch Golden Age.
Lastly, Barthold Georg Niebuhr (1776-1831), a German statesman and historian, made significant contributions to the study of ancient history. His critical analysis of Roman historical sources and his efforts to uncover the true nature of ancient societies have had a lasting impact on the field of historiography.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Barth throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human endeavor.
People
Barth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Barth as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Barth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Barth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 317 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Barth going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,081,244 US residents.
Is Barth a common name?
We classify Barth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 470 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Barth most popular?
The single biggest year for Barth was 1955, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Barth is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Barth a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Barth in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.