Show ContentsBarb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Barb comes from the baptismal name meaning the son of Barbara. The name is equally often of nickname derivation and was given to a man with a heavy beard.

Early Origins of the Barb family

The surname Barb was first found in Hampshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Barb family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barb research. Another 206 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1229, 1500, 1602 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Barb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barb Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Barb has appeared include Barbe, Barb, Berb, Berbe, Barrbe, Berrbe and others.

Early Notables of the Barb family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Bernardus Barb, 11th century land holder

Barb Ranking

In the United States, the name Barb is the 13,356th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Barb family to Ireland

Some of the Barb family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Barb migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Barb arrived in North America very early:

Barb Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Barb, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 [2]

New Zealand Barb migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Barb Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Barb, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • James Barb, aged 29, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "London" in 1842

Contemporary Notables of the name Barb (post 1700) +

  • Barb Hendee, American fantasy author, wife of J.C. Hendee
  • Barb Despins, Canadian curling skip from Saskatoon, skip of the winning 1979 Macdonald Lassies Championship
  • Barb VanderVeen (b. 1949), American politician, Republican Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 2004
  • Barb Tarbox MSM (1961-2003), Canadian anti-smoking activist, posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
  • Barb VanderVeen (b. 1949), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 2004 [3]
  • Barb Shirley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 2008 [4]
  • Barb Paulus, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 2012 [5]
  • Barb Brockhoff, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 2000 [6]
  • Barb Van Slyke, American Republican politician, Chair of Riley County Republican Party, 2011 [7]
  • Barb Vakulikas, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Iowa, 2000 [8]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook