'Barcelona' likely originates from a pre-Roman Iberian place name often reconstructed as 'Barkeno' or from the Punic/Phocaean name associated with the Barca (Barca/Barc) family; the exact origin is debated.

'Barcelona' developed from ancient local/Iberian names (reconstructed as 'Barkeno'), into the Roman-era Latin name 'Barcino' (or related forms), and over the Middle Ages the form evolved into the modern Catalan/Spanish 'Barcelona'.

Initially the term designated a specific local settlement or was associated with a family name ('Barca'/'Bark-'); over time it became the established name for the city and, by extension, for institutions and people from there.