boy's name
Bobby
BOB-ee
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 347,859
Ireland
#30
2025 births
Bobby is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "bright fame." It is a pet form of Robert, from hrod, fame, and beraht, bright, and in Britain it doubles as the informal word for a police officer.
- Bobby is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1935, when 7,971 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 955 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Bobby over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. Bobby is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 87 |
| 1910s | 662 |
| 1920s | 15,053 |
| 1930s | 71,663 |
| 1940s | 60,445 |
| 1950s | 54,499 |
| 1960s | 47,411 |
| 1970s | 30,238 |
| 1980s | 22,705 |
| 1990s | 11,594 |
| 2000s | 5,767 |
| 2010s | 3,312 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,292 |
What Bobby means
Bobby means famous and bright, inherited from Robert. The rhyming swap that turns Rob into Bob is a medieval English habit and adds nothing to the meaning.
Where Bobby comes from
Bobby comes from Robert, via Rob and then Bob — the same rhyming substitution that gave Bill from Will and Dick from Rick, a Middle English habit that has no modern equivalent. The British police sense comes from Sir Robert Peel, who founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829; officers were called both bobbies and peelers after him, and the first name stuck. Bobby serves as a girls' name too, usually shortening Roberta or Barbara, which is why it appears for both sexes in some records.
Bobby in use
Our data shows Bobby falling, peaking in 1935, at 94 in England and Wales against 1,101 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1900. Britain is reviving it while America is not — the same split we see across the whole British pet-form cluster.
How popular is Bobby?
In 2025, Bobby was given to 552 babies in England and Wales, ranking #94 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Bobby is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Bobby
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Bobby also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bobby over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Bobby
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Bobby in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Bobby
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bobby — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Bobby
What does the name Bobby mean?
Bobby means "bright fame," from the Germanic hrod, fame, and beraht, bright, by way of Robert.
Why are British police called bobbies?
After Sir Robert Peel, who founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829. They were also called peelers, but bobby lasted.
Why does Rob become Bob?
A Middle English habit of swapping the first letter in rhyming pet forms — the same one that gave Bill from Will and Dick from Rick.
How popular is the name Bobby?
In 2025, Bobby was given to 552 babies in England and Wales, ranking #94 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Bobby a girl's or a boy's name?
Bobby is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Bobby?
Bobby has 2 syllables.
When was Bobby most popular?
Bobby peaked in 1935, when 7,971 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Bobby?
Bobby is usually shortened to Bob.
Is Bobby a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bobby currently ranks #30 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.