Meaning:
Its source is barbaros, a Greek name meaning "Foreigner."
Alternative Spellings: Barbi
Popularity:
The name Barbie ranked 2041st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
Narrative:
This word was originally used to describe anyone who did not speak Greek. It might have originated as an approximation of unintelligible babble, similar in use to the modern American expression ''blah-blah-blah.''
Associations:
Barbie is the name of a popular American doll with blond hair, conventionally pretty features, and a thin yet busty figure. It has come to be associated with the stereotype of a pretty but vacuous young woman.
''Barb'' is short for barbiturate, a drug type.
''Barbie'' is an Australian slang abbreviation for a barbecue.
