The Spanish word 'barbón' (meaning 'bearded man') comes from combining the Spanish word 'barba' (meaning 'beard') with the augmentative suffix '-ón'. The Spanish 'barba' itself comes directly from the Latin word 'barba', also meaning 'beard'. The augmentative suffix '-ón' adds the sense of largeness or notability to the base word, so 'barbón' literally means 'one with a notable beard' or 'heavily bearded man'.

The most obvious related Spanish word is the simpler and more common 'barba' meaning 'beard'. Other common derivatives include 'barbudo' (bearded), 'barbería' (barbershop), and 'barbero' (barber).

While English 'beard' is not related (it comes from Germanic roots), English borrowed several words from the same Latin root 'barba'. These include 'barber' (someone who cuts hair and trims beards), 'barbershop', and words like 'barbed' (as in barbed wire, originally referring to beard-like projections). The word 'barbarous' also comes from this root, as it originally referred to bearded foreigners who didn't speak Greek or Latin.