The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in Iberian script as ,^[16] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn, Barkajone...means our boat Albanian Ancient Greek or Pelasgian;^[17][18] and in Latin as Barcino,^[19] Barcilonum^[20] and Barcenona.^[21][22][23]

Sources suggest that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC.^[24]

During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona.

Barcelona's name is usually abbreviated as 'Barna'. Foreigners often erroneously abbreviate Barcelona as 'Barça', the popular name of Barcelona football club. Spaniards also use 'BCN', often written 'Bcn' or 'bcn', which actually corresponds to the IATA airport code of the Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The city is also referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan, and Ciudad Condal in Spanish, owing to its past as the seat of the Count of Barcelona.Barcelona (/bɑrsəˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and Spain's second most populated city, with a population of 1.6 million^[3] within its administrative limits. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.7 million people, being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London,Madrid, the Ruhr area, and Milan.^[1] It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres (1,680 ft) high.

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural center and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudíand Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

Barcelona is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centers, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.^[4][5] It is a major cultural and economic center in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world (before Zürich, after Frankfurt)^[6] and a financial center. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with GDP amounting to €177 billion.^[7] In 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion; it is leading Spain in both employment rate and GDP per capita change.^[8] In 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand.^[9] In the same year the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year,^[10] but it has since been in a full recession with declines in both employment and GDP per capita, with some recent signs of the beginning of an economic recovery.^[11] Since 2011 Barcelona is a leading smart city in Europe.^[12] Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port,^[13] an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles above 35 million passengers per year,^[14] an extensive motorway network and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.^[15]