Barbra Streisand's Real Name: Barbara Joan Streisand

Quick answer: Barbra Streisand was born Barbara Joan Streisand on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. Britannica says she dropped the second "a" from her first name in 1960, around the time she won a nightclub talent contest. She is a singer, actress, director, and producer with Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy wins (Britannica; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Streisand, Barbra." One citation reads "Streisand, Barbra (Barbara Joan Streisand)." Another reads "born Barbara Joan Streisand, April 24, 1942 … born Brooklyn, New York." LOC also notes her 1972 album title, Barbra Joan Streisand, which uses the respelled first name with her middle name.

Britannica says she first wanted to be a dramatic actress. She joined a summer theater group in Malden Bridge, New York, and studied acting during high school. After graduating she moved to Manhattan. Her first break came in 1960, when she sang at a small nightclub and won an amateur contest. Cabaret work in Greenwich Village followed.

Career highlights

She stole the show as Miss Marmelstein in the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962). Frequent TV appearances, including The Judy Garland Show, followed. The Barbra Streisand Album (1963) won Grammys for album of the year and best female vocal performance. Playing Fanny Brice in Broadway's Funny Girl (1964) made her a star, and "People" became her first No. 1 hit on the easy-listening chart. Her TV special My Name Is Barbra won two Emmys in 1965.

Her film debut, reprising Brice in Funny Girl (1968), won an Academy Award. She starred in Hello, Dolly!, What's Up, Doc?, The Way We Were with Robert Redford, Funny Lady, and A Star Is Born (1976). "Evergreen," from A Star Is Born, won the 1977 Oscar for best song and two Grammys, including song of the year.

She made her directing debut with Yentl (1983), which she also co-wrote and co-produced. She directed The Prince of Tides (1991), nominated for seven Oscars, and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). Later comedies include Meet the Fockers and The Guilt Trip. LOC notes that she founded the Streisand Foundation in 1986 and launched the Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA in 2021.

Name notes for searchers

"Barbra" is a deliberate respelling of her birth name, Barbara. Joan is her middle name, and Streisand is her family surname. Searches for "Barbara Streisand" are common misspellings of her stage spelling. LOC lists foreign-script forms, such as Barbra Streisandová in Czech.