Varvara
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "foreign" or "strange".
Name Census estimates that about 181 living Americans carry the first name Varvara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Varvara today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Varvara births was 2016 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Varvara. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Varvara with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
181
~ 1 in 1,893,670 Americans
Peak year
2016
17 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,182
Tracked since 1975
Census
Varvara in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 585 people with the first name Varvara, which placed it at #18,434 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#18,434
National first-name rank
People counted
585
585 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
95.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varvara
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Varvara is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Varvara described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Varvara at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 558
- Black or African American2.1% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Popularity
Varvara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Varvara from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 108 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Varvara remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Varvara 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 Varvara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Varvaras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Varvara
The name Varvara has its origins in the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "barbaros," which initially referred to anyone who did not speak Greek and was considered a foreigner or outsider. Over time, the meaning evolved to encompass concepts of being strange, foreign, or uncivilized.
In the early centuries of Christianity, the name Varvara was adopted by the church and given a new meaning. It became associated with the story of Saint Barbara, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century who was persecuted for her faith. The name was then interpreted to mean "foreign" or "stranger," reflecting her status as an outsider in the pagan society she lived in.
The earliest recorded use of the name Varvara can be traced back to the 4th century, when it appeared in various Christian texts and hagiographies (writings about the lives of saints). One of the most notable early bearers of the name was Saint Barbara herself, who is venerated as the patron saint of artillerymen, miners, and those facing sudden death.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Varvara. One of the most famous was Varvara Yakovleva (1854-1940), a Russian philanthropist and educator who founded the first women's college in Russia. Another notable figure was Varvara Massalitinova (1878-1964), a Russian ballet dancer and teacher who played a significant role in the development of modern ballet in Russia.
In the realm of literature, Varvara Bunina (1892-1983) was a Russian writer and poet who was part of the Russian émigré community in France. Her works often explored themes of exile and displacement, reflecting her own experiences as a refugee.
Varvara Stepanova (1894-1958) was a prominent Russian artist and designer associated with the Constructivist movement. She is known for her innovative textile designs and her contributions to the development of avant-garde art in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Varvara Fyodorovna Stepanova (1919-1992) was a Soviet fighter pilot during World War II, earning the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for her bravery and skill in combat.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Varvara throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance associated with this ancient name.
People
Varvara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Varvara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Varvara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Varvara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 181 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Varvara 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 1,893,670 US residents.
Is Varvara a common name?
We classify Varvara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Varvara most popular?
The single biggest year for Varvara was 2016, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Varvara is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Varvara in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 585 people with the name Varvara, or 0.19 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #18,434 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Varvara in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Varvara?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Varvara appears almost entirely female. Of the 592 people counted with this name, 99.5% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Varvara?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Varvara is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Varvara most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Varvara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (558 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Varvara in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Varvara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Varvara in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Varvara still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Varvara in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Varvara can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people are named Varvara?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Varvara at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.