diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/bar_plot_labels.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/bar_plot_labels.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6da57a317f59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/bar_plot_labels.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+Easier labelling of bars in bar plot
+------------------------------------
+
+The ``label`` argument of `~matplotlib.axes.Axes.bar` can now
+be passed a list of labels for the bars.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+    x = ["a", "b", "c"]
+    y = [10, 20, 15]
+
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    bar_container = ax.barh(x, y, label=x)
+    [bar.get_label() for bar in bar_container]
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index 25b3cf36651f..3159a55b7e83 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -2256,6 +2256,14 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
             The tick labels of the bars.
             Default: None (Use default numeric labels.)
 
+        label : str or list of str, optional
+            A single label is attached to the resulting `.BarContainer` as a
+            label for the whole dataset.
+            If a list is provided, it must be the same length as *x* and
+            labels the individual bars. Repeated labels are not de-duplicated
+            and will cause repeated label entries, so this is best used when
+            bars also differ in style (e.g., by passing a list to *color*.)
+
         xerr, yerr : float or array-like of shape(N,) or shape(2, N), optional
             If not *None*, add horizontal / vertical errorbars to the bar tips.
             The values are +/- sizes relative to the data:
@@ -2381,6 +2389,16 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
             tick_label_axis = self.yaxis
             tick_label_position = y
 
+        if not isinstance(label, str) and np.iterable(label):
+            bar_container_label = '_nolegend_'
+            patch_labels = label
+        else:
+            bar_container_label = label
+            patch_labels = ['_nolegend_'] * len(x)
+        if len(patch_labels) != len(x):
+            raise ValueError(f'number of labels ({len(patch_labels)}) '
+                             f'does not match number of bars ({len(x)}).')
+
         linewidth = itertools.cycle(np.atleast_1d(linewidth))
         hatch = itertools.cycle(np.atleast_1d(hatch))
         color = itertools.chain(itertools.cycle(mcolors.to_rgba_array(color)),
@@ -2420,14 +2438,14 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
 
         patches = []
         args = zip(left, bottom, width, height, color, edgecolor, linewidth,
-                   hatch)
-        for l, b, w, h, c, e, lw, htch in args:
+                   hatch, patch_labels)
+        for l, b, w, h, c, e, lw, htch, lbl in args:
             r = mpatches.Rectangle(
                 xy=(l, b), width=w, height=h,
                 facecolor=c,
                 edgecolor=e,
                 linewidth=lw,
-                label='_nolegend_',
+                label=lbl,
                 hatch=htch,
                 )
             r._internal_update(kwargs)
@@ -2466,7 +2484,8 @@ def bar(self, x, height, width=0.8, bottom=None, *, align="center",
             datavalues = width
 
         bar_container = BarContainer(patches, errorbar, datavalues=datavalues,
-                                     orientation=orientation, label=label)
+                                     orientation=orientation,
+                                     label=bar_container_label)
         self.add_container(bar_container)
 
         if tick_labels is not None:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
index 51fbea3cfaaa..3a1ba341b2e0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -1886,6 +1886,35 @@ def test_bar_hatches(fig_test, fig_ref):
     ax_test.bar(x, y, hatch=hatches)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("x", "width", "label", "expected_labels", "container_label"),
+    [
+        ("x", 1, "x", ["_nolegend_"], "x"),
+        (["a", "b", "c"], [10, 20, 15], ["A", "B", "C"],
+         ["A", "B", "C"], "_nolegend_"),
+        (["a", "b", "c"], [10, 20, 15], ["R", "Y", "_nolegend_"],
+         ["R", "Y", "_nolegend_"], "_nolegend_"),
+        (["a", "b", "c"], [10, 20, 15], "bars",
+         ["_nolegend_", "_nolegend_", "_nolegend_"], "bars"),
+    ]
+)
+def test_bar_labels(x, width, label, expected_labels, container_label):
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    bar_container = ax.bar(x, width, label=label)
+    bar_labels = [bar.get_label() for bar in bar_container]
+    assert expected_labels == bar_labels
+    assert bar_container.get_label() == container_label
+
+
+def test_bar_labels_length():
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        ax.bar(["x", "y"], [1, 2], label=["X", "Y", "Z"])
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        ax.bar(["x", "y"], [1, 2], label=["X"])
+
+
 def test_pandas_minimal_plot(pd):
     # smoke test that series and index objects do not warn
     for x in [pd.Series([1, 2], dtype="float64"),