Barbara of Portugal (Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa; 4 December 1711 – 27 August 1758) was an Infanta of Portugal and later Queen of Spain by marriage to Ferdinand VI of Spain.

Born Maria Madalena Josefa Teresa Bárbara, Barbara was the eldest child of King John V of Portugal and his wife, Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, a daughter of Emperor Leopold I. The princess was baptised Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa, her names honouring a number of saints and relatives. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara, a name never before used among Portuguese royalty, in honour of Saint Barbara, the saint of her birthday. She was a first cousin of the future Empress Maria Theresa as well as Maria Josepha of Austria. Although her parents were married in 1708, they remained childless for nearly three years. The King then made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built as a sign of gratitude. On 4 December 1711 Barbara was born, and, as promised, the King had the Convent of Mafra built.

Barbara was born as heiress-presumptive to the Portuguese throne, styled as Princess of Brazil. Her status as heiress presumptive lapsed when the Queen gave birth to a son, Pedro, two years later. Pedro died at the age of two, though another son, Joseph, born before Pedro's death, prevented Barbara from ever being heiress-presumptive again.

Barbara had a fine education and loved music. A prodigiously talented keyboard player, she was the only student of Domenico Scarlatti, the great harpsichordist and composer, from age 9 or 10 until Scarlatti died in 1757, a year before her own death. She was considered to marry Louis XV of France.

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