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At a Glance
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic place name (the island of Barra); also a Portuguese word for 'sandbar' and a Gambian place name
- Pronunciation
- BAR-uh
Barra comes from the Isle of Barra, a small island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, named in Scottish Gaelic. The same word also turns up as a Portuguese term for a sandbar and as a place name in Gambia, giving it an unusual, well-traveled footprint on the map before it's ever a name in a nursery. If you're drawn to place names with real geography behind them, this is one with three distinct locations to point to.
Meaning & Origin of Barra
Origin: Scottish Gaelic place name (the island of Barra); also a Portuguese word for 'sandbar' and a Gambian place name.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Barra
BAR-uhIPA /ˈbærə/
Popularity of Barra
Barra does not appear in U.S. Social Security birth-name records (38,443 names on file, 1880–present) — likely too rare, too new, or recorded under a different spelling. No popularity rank or trend is shown rather than an invented one.
FAQ
How do you pronounce Barra?
Barra is pronounced BAR-uh (IPA: /ˈbærə/).
Make Barra Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Barra, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Barra? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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