girl's name
Robyn
ROB-in
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 93,530
Ireland
#19
2025 births
Robyn is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "bright fame." It is a feminine respelling of Robin, itself a medieval pet form of Robert, from hrod, fame, and beraht, bright.
- Robyn is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1964, when 1,907 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 853 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1921.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Robyn over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. Robyn 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 |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 30 |
| 1930s | 117 |
| 1940s | 1,404 |
| 1950s | 8,843 |
| 1960s | 15,353 |
| 1970s | 14,916 |
| 1980s | 11,988 |
| 1990s | 6,229 |
| 2000s | 2,378 |
| 2010s | 2,195 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,151 |
What Robyn means
Robyn means famous and bright, inherited from Robert. The y spelling carries no separate meaning — it marks the name as feminine, the same way Carolyn and Marilyn use it.
Where Robyn comes from
Robyn respells Robin, which began as a Norman French diminutive of Robert, from the Germanic Hrodebert — hrod, fame, and beraht, bright. Robin was a male name for centuries, worn by Robin Hood in ballads from the fourteenth century onward, and the bird was named after the man rather than the other way round: the redbreast was familiarly called robin redbreast the way a jackdaw is a jack. The y spelling emerged in the twentieth century to mark female use, and English now treats Robin and Robyn as separate names.
Robyn in use
Our data shows Robyn stable, peaking in 1964, at 76 in England and Wales against 1,439 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1921, roughly six centuries after Robin. The name is one of the clearest examples of a respelling doing real work — it split one name into two without changing its sound.
How popular is Robyn?
In 2025, Robyn was given to 618 babies in England and Wales, ranking #76 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Robyn 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 Robyn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Robyn also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Robyn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Robyn
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.
Robyn 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 Robyn
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Robyn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Robyn
What does the name Robyn mean?
Robyn means "bright fame," from the Germanic hrod, fame, and beraht, bright, by way of Robert.
What is the difference between Robyn and Robin?
Only spelling and convention. Robyn marks female use; Robin is used for both, and was male for centuries.
Is the bird named after the name?
Yes. The redbreast was familiarly called robin redbreast, the way a jackdaw is a jack — the name came first.
How popular is the name Robyn?
In 2025, Robyn was given to 618 babies in England and Wales, ranking #76 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Robyn a girl's or a boy's name?
Robyn is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Robyn?
Robyn has 2 syllables.
When was Robyn most popular?
Robyn peaked in 1964, when 1,907 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Robyn?
Robyn is usually shortened to Rob and Bobbie.
Is Robyn a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Robyn currently ranks #19 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.