At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #1,097 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
- Babies in 2025
- 195 (0.011% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #850 in 2020 to #1,097 in 2025
- Peak
- #23 in 1934
- First recorded
- 1900
Meaning of Bobby
Bobby rolls off the tongue like the pop of a cork in a lively Roman trattoria—BAH-bee, bright and effervescent. Technically a diminutive of Robert, it inherits the venerable Germanic root hrod-beraht, “bright fame,” yet it wears that legacy the way an Italian gent dons a linen jacket: with effortless sprezzatura. History shows Bobby cresting like a frothy cappuccino in mid-century America—peaking around 24th place in the 1930s—then settling into today’s easygoing 700s, a sweet spot for parents craving familiarity without ubiquity. Cultural footnotes sparkle like confetti: statesman Bobby Kennedy, chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, and chef Bobby Flay each add a dash of gravitas, intellect, and flavor. Even the British “bobby” patrolling the streets can’t dim the name’s warm glow; instead, he lends it a wink of humor. All told, Bobby is a pocket-sized passport to “bright fame,” promising a life lived sotto il sole—sun-kissed, story-ready, and brimming with approachable charm.
How to pronounce Bobby
English
- Pronounced BAH-bee /ˈbɑ.bi/
Popularity of Bobby in the U.S.
Bobby was the #1,097 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 195 babies. It peaked at #23 in 1934. It first appears in the records in 1900.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1900–2025 123 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 195 | 1,097 | ▲ 17 |
| 2024 | 192 | 1,114 | ▲ 78 |
| 2023 | 169 | 1,192 | ▼ 160 |
| 2022 | 214 | 1,032 | ▼ 16 |
| 2021 | 216 | 1,016 | ▼ 166 |
| 2020 | 268 | 850 | ▲ 30 |
| 2019 | 250 | 880 | ▼ 57 |
| 2018 | 272 | 823 | ▼ 37 |
| 2017 | 298 | 786 | ▼ 32 |
| 2016 | 322 | 754 | ▼ 14 |
| 2015 | 328 | 740 | ▲ 14 |
| 2014 | 313 | 754 | ▼ 89 |
| 2013 | 363 | 665 | ▲ 49 |
| 2012 | 331 | 714 | ▼ 32 |
| 2011 | 346 | 682 | ▼ 131 |
| 2010 | 458 | 551 | ▲ 25 |
| 2009 | 458 | 576 | ▼ 52 |
| 2008 | 515 | 524 | ▼ 21 |
| 2007 | 523 | 503 | ▼ 20 |
| 2006 | 546 | 483 | ▲ 7 |
| 2005 | 505 | 490 | ▼ 38 |
| 2004 | 573 | 452 | ▼ 1 |
| 2003 | 559 | 451 | ▼ 52 |
| 2002 | 644 | 399 | ▼ 10 |
| 2001 | 655 | 389 | ▼ 25 |
| 2000 | 730 | 364 | ▼ 5 |
| 1999 | 729 | 359 | ▼ 34 |
| 1998 | 835 | 325 | ▼ 26 |
| 1997 | 913 | 299 | ▼ 9 |
| 1996 | 932 | 290 | ▼ 21 |
| 1995 | 1,046 | 269 | ▼ 14 |
| 1994 | 1,136 | 255 | ▼ 17 |
| 1993 | 1,221 | 238 | ▼ 17 |
| 1992 | 1,387 | 221 | ▼ 15 |
| 1991 | 1,508 | 206 | ▼ 21 |
| 1990 | 1,677 | 185 | ▼ 13 |
| 1989 | 1,759 | 172 | ▼ 9 |
| 1988 | 1,715 | 163 | ▼ 16 |
| 1987 | 1,889 | 147 | ▼ 17 |
| 1986 | 2,105 | 130 | ▲ 5 |
| 1985 | 2,094 | 135 | ▼ 6 |
| 1984 | 2,119 | 129 | ▼ 11 |
| 1983 | 2,357 | 118 | ▼ 5 |
| 1982 | 2,605 | 113 | ▼ 3 |
| 1981 | 2,658 | 110 | ▼ 1 |
| 1980 | 2,724 | 109 | ▼ 3 |
| 1979 | 2,584 | 106 | ▲ 3 |
| 1978 | 2,398 | 109 | ▼ 4 |
| 1977 | 2,539 | 105 | ▼ 9 |
| 1976 | 2,644 | 96 | ▼ 3 |
| 1975 | 2,772 | 93 | ▼ 1 |
| 1974 | 2,792 | 92 | ▲ 1 |
| 1973 | 2,889 | 93 | ▼ 3 |
| 1972 | 3,171 | 90 | ▼ 11 |
| 1971 | 3,652 | 79 | ▲ 8 |
| 1970 | 3,636 | 87 | ▼ 5 |
| 1969 | 3,652 | 82 | ▼ 1 |
| 1968 | 3,628 | 81 | ▲ 2 |
| 1967 | 3,779 | 83 | ▼ 1 |
| 1966 | 4,068 | 82 | ▼ 2 |
| 1965 | 4,588 | 80 | ▼ 7 |
| 1964 | 5,082 | 73 | ▲ 2 |
| 1963 | 5,212 | 75 | ▲ 3 |
| 1962 | 5,323 | 78 | ▼ 2 |
| 1961 | 5,402 | 76 | ▼ 3 |
| 1960 | 5,656 | 73 | ▼ 2 |
| 1959 | 5,677 | 71 | ▼ 2 |
| 1958 | 5,735 | 69 | ▲ 9 |
| 1957 | 5,617 | 78 | ▼ 1 |
| 1956 | 5,358 | 77 | ▼ 2 |
| 1955 | 5,223 | 75 | ▼ 3 |
| 1954 | 5,507 | 72 | ▲ 2 |
| 1953 | 5,179 | 74 | ▲ 3 |
| 1952 | 4,960 | 77 | – |
| 1951 | 5,006 | 77 | ▼ 12 |
| 1950 | 5,019 | 65 | ▲ 2 |
| 1949 | 5,120 | 67 | ▼ 5 |
| 1948 | 5,581 | 62 | ▼ 2 |
| 1947 | 6,116 | 60 | ▼ 7 |
| 1946 | 5,771 | 53 | – |
| 1945 | 5,052 | 53 | ▼ 3 |
| 1944 | 5,410 | 50 | ▼ 4 |
| 1943 | 6,121 | 46 | ▼ 3 |
| 1942 | 6,248 | 43 | ▼ 8 |
| 1941 | 6,589 | 35 | ▼ 5 |
| 1940 | 6,882 | 30 | ▼ 1 |
| 1939 | 7,057 | 29 | ▼ 2 |
| 1938 | 7,498 | 27 | ▼ 3 |
| 1937 | 7,745 | 24 | – |
| 1936 | 7,735 | 24 | – |
| 1935 | 7,726 | 24 | ▼ 1 |
| 1934 | 7,532 | 23 | ▲ 3 |
| 1933 | 6,490 | 26 | ▲ 4 |
| 1932 | 6,597 | 30 | ▲ 2 |
| 1931 | 5,858 | 32 | ▲ 9 |
| 1930 | 5,181 | 41 | ▲ 9 |
| 1929 | 3,925 | 50 | ▲ 15 |
| 1928 | 2,972 | 65 | ▲ 26 |
| 1927 | 2,286 | 91 | ▲ 25 |
| 1926 | 1,595 | 116 | ▲ 34 |
| 1925 | 1,085 | 150 | ▲ 41 |
| 1924 | 733 | 191 | ▲ 69 |
| 1923 | 470 | 260 | ▲ 33 |
| 1922 | 370 | 293 | ▲ 71 |
| 1921 | 274 | 364 | ▲ 104 |
| 1920 | 170 | 468 | ▲ 160 |
| 1919 | 93 | 628 | ▲ 72 |
| 1918 | 81 | 700 | ▲ 97 |
| 1917 | 62 | 797 | ▲ 95 |
| 1916 | 49 | 892 | ▲ 70 |
| 1915 | 42 | 962 | ▼ 55 |
| 1914 | 36 | 907 | ▲ 534 |
| 1913 | 14 | 1,441 | ▼ 173 |
| 1912 | 14 | 1,268 | ▼ 286 |
| 1911 | 12 | 982 | ▲ 211 |
| 1910 | 8 | 1,193 | ▼ 173 |
| 1909 | 9 | 1,020 | ▲ 197 |
| 1908 | 6 | 1,217 | ▲ 128 |
| 1907 | 5 | 1,345 | ▼ 341 |
| 1906 | 7 | 1,004 | ▼ 263 |
| 1905 | 11 | 741 | ▲ 133 |
| 1904 | 8 | 874 | back (not recorded in 1901–1903) |
| 1900 | 7 | 1,050 | new |
Bobby by state
Bobby ranks #504 in Oklahoma (2025).
Rank by state 15 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 504 | 8 |
| South Carolina | 552 | 8 |
| Kentucky | 569 | 7 |
| Georgia | 673 | 14 |
| Ohio | 750 | 11 |
| Alabama | 765 | 5 |
| Tennessee | 777 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 825 | 10 |
| Arizona | 927 | 5 |
| California | 1,011 | 21 |
| Michigan | 1,113 | 5 |
| Florida | 1,126 | 11 |
| Texas | 1,217 | 17 |
| Illinois | 1,280 | 5 |
| New York | 1,410 | 7 |
Notable people named Bobby
- Bobby Fischer was an American chess prodigy who won a record eight US Championships and became the eleventh World Chess Champion by defeating Boris Spassky in a famous 1972 Cold War showdown.
- Bobby Orr is a Canadian hockey legend who changed the way defencemen play the game and remains the only one ever to win the NHL scoring title.
- Bobby Robson — Sir Robert Robson was an English football player and manager who coached England and led Ipswich Town to UEFA Cup victory.
- Bobby Moore was an English football legend who captained West Ham United for over a decade and led England to victory in the 1966 World Cup.
- Robert Tyre Jones Jr., known as Bobby Jones, was a legendary amateur golfer and lawyer who helped create Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament.
More people named Bobby 10 more
- Bobby Brown is an American singer and dancer who first found fame with New Edition and later helped pioneer new jack swing as a solo star.
- Bobby Womack — Robert Dwayne Womack was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose soulful career spanned more than 60 years.
- Bobby Wagner is an American NFL linebacker from Utah State who starred for the Seattle Seahawks and later played for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders.
- Bobby Valentine — Robert John Valentine, known as Bobby V, is an American former professional baseball player and manager.
- Bobby Bowden — Robert Cleckler Bowden was a legendary college football coach who led the Florida State Seminoles from 1976 to 2009.
- Bobby Seale is an American activist and author who co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966.
- Bobby Cox — Robert Joe Cox was a Hall of Fame baseball player and manager who led teams to six 100-win seasons.
- Bobby Vinton — Stanley Robert Vinton is a retired American singer and actor known as the Polish Prince and famous for his hit song Blue Velvet.
- Bobby Blue Bland was an American singer known for blending gospel, blues and R&B with powerful, soulful storytelling.
- Bobby Unser — Robert William Unser was an American racing champion known for 35 IndyCar wins and 10 Pikes Peak titles.