Robert
Robert was the 92nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,772 babies. Its best year was 1924, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1947 (91,655). Over the last ten years it has moved down 29 places. More babies were named Robert in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning bright fame · Germanic
Say it RAH-bert /ˈrɑbərt/
- Rank in 2025
- #92 boys, down 12 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,772boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194791,655 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,869,849babies recorded
What does the name Robert mean?
Robert is a Germanic name made from two elements that DMNES gives as hrod, 'fame', and berht, 'bright', so it means roughly 'bright with fame'. The Normans brought it to England in 1066; DMNES notes that an Old English form existed but was rare. It was the name of Robert the Bruce and other Scottish kings and of many saints. Medieval English records already show the pet forms Rob, Hob, Dob and Robin, and Bob and Bobby followed later. Rupert is the same name through German.
*hrōþiz (Proto-Germanic, “fame, glory”)*berhtaz (Proto-Germanic, “bright”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Rob, Bob, Bobby, Robbie, Robin, Rupert, Roberto, Roberta.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean light, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Robert', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Robert', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Robert
The usual nicknames for Robert are Rob, Bobby, Bob, Robbie and Bert. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Robert in the last five years, 5 were named Bobby, against 5 twenty years earlier. Robbie is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob · also for Roberto, Robin | Traditional | #10,457 | 41 |
| Bobby · also for Bob | Traditional | #1,097 | 986 |
| Bob | Traditional | #9,845 | 28 |
| Robbie · also for Roberta | Traditional | #2,122 | 332 |
| Bert · also for Albert, Herbert, Bertha | Traditional | #10,866 | 42 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Roberts go by each one.
Robert popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 20,119 since 1880, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #92 | 3,772 |
| 2020 | #80 | 4,402 |
| 2010 | #54 | 7,569 |
| 2000 | #29 | 13,739 |
| 1990 | #13 | 28,886 |
| 1980 | #9 | 34,266 |
| 1970 | #5 | 57,177 |
| 1960 | #5 | 72,357 |
| 1950 | #2 | 83,553 |
| 1940 | #2 | 61,198 |
| 1930 | #1 | 62,153 |
| 1920 | #3 | 48,679 |
| 1910 | #4 | 5,609 |
| 1900 | #6 | 3,821 |
| 1890 | #8 | 2,541 |
| 1880 | #10 | 2,415 |
How popular is Robert, counting every spelling?
Robert has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #98 for boys in 2025, against #92 on the official list, because Kayden/Kaiden/Caden and Nicholas/Nicolas and Elliot/Elliott/Eliot move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Robert?
3,772 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Robert (1.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Robert born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Robert.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Robert?
About 2,522,600 people born in the US named Robert are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 45 and 72. That makes Robert a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Robert by state
How common Robert was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.7×), Alaska (2.7×), Vermont (2.5×), Wyoming (2.2×), New Hampshire (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Iowa, Utah, Arizona.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Robert: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Robert, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Robert · Sibling names for Robert
Questions about the name Robert
What does Robert mean?
Robert means “bright fame” (Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Robert?
Robert was the 92nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,772 babies. Its best year was 1924, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1947 (91,655). Over the last ten years it has moved down 29 places. More babies were named Robert in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Robert a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Robert in the US.
Where is Robert most popular?
In 2021–2025, Robert was most common in District of Columbia (6.23 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and Vermont.