boy's name
Tobias
toh-BY-as
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 48,244
the United States
#283
2025 births
Tobias is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is good." It is the Greek form of Toviyah, and belongs to the Book of Tobit — the apocryphal story that made the name common in medieval England.
- Tobias is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 1,523 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,760 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Tobias over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 38 |
| 1890s | 23 |
| 1900s | 37 |
| 1910s | 144 |
| 1920s | 155 |
| 1930s | 107 |
| 1940s | 160 |
| 1950s | 243 |
| 1960s | 576 |
| 1970s | 2,102 |
| 1980s | 1,807 |
| 1990s | 2,266 |
| 2000s | 4,811 |
| 2010s | 9,410 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,443 |
What Tobias means
Tobias means God is good, or the Lord is good. The Hebrew compresses a full statement — tov, good, and yah, God — into a name, which is standard for Old Testament naming.
Where Tobias comes from
Tobias is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew Toviyah, from tov, good, and yah, the shortened divine name. It is the name of the young protagonist of the Book of Tobit, who travels with the archangel Raphael disguised as a human companion and returns to heal his father's blindness. The story was among the most popular in medieval Europe and made Tobias a common English name, until the Reformation removed Tobit from the Protestant canon and the name declined. Its English short form Toby long outstripped it.
Tobias in use
Our data shows Tobias peaking in 2016 and still rising, at 116 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never left them. Unusually, the full name is now rising while Toby, its own short form, is falling — a reversal of the British pattern where diminutives lead.
How popular is Tobias?
In 2025, Tobias was given to 1,201 babies in the United States, ranking #283 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Tobias is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Tobias
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tobias also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tobias over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Tobias
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.
Tobias 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 Tobias
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tobias — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tobias
What does the name Tobias mean?
Tobias means "God is good," from the Hebrew tov, good, and yah, God.
Who was Tobias in the Bible?
The young protagonist of the Book of Tobit, who travels with the archangel Raphael in disguise and heals his father's blindness.
Is Toby short for Tobias?
Yes, and for centuries the short form was far more used. Our data now shows Tobias rising while Toby falls.
How popular is the name Tobias?
In 2025, Tobias was given to 1,201 babies in the United States, ranking #283 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Tobias a girl's or a boy's name?
Tobias is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tobias?
Tobias has 3 syllables.
When was Tobias most popular?
Tobias peaked in 2016, when 1,523 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Tobias?
Tobias is usually shortened to Toby and Tobe.
Is Tobias a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tobias currently ranks #116 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.