FastNamesRobert
Germanic name meaning "Derived from Ancient Germanic Hrodebert, composed of hrod ('fame', 'renown') and berht ('bright', 'shining'), translating to 'bright with fame' or 'illustrious'.". Ranked 92nd for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Robert
Derived from Ancient Germanic Hrodebert, composed of hrod ('fame', 'renown') and berht ('bright', 'shining'), translating to 'bright with fame' or 'illustrious'.
Linguistically, Robert is classified under Germanic naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "RAH-bərt".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Robert has been given to a total of 4,849,730 boys. It has also been given to 20,119 girls.
Peak year: Robert reached its highest relative share among boys in 1931, when 60,519 babies received the name (58,210 per million births).
All-time best rank: 1st place, first achieved in 1924.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 92nd with 3,772 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 63rd (down 29 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Robert in the 1950s than in any other decade (830,395 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 24,074 |
| 1890s | 26,147 |
| 1900s | 35,849 |
| 1910s | 239,185 |
| 1920s | 576,374 |
| 1930s | 590,810 |
| 1940s | 758,126 |
| 1950s | 830,395 |
| 1960s | 650,786 |
| 1970s | 397,225 |
| 1980s | 321,655 |
| 1990s | 205,459 |
| 2000s | 106,666 |
| 2010s | 62,654 |
| 2020s | 24,325 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Robert is most common in the US
Accounting for when Robert was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Rhode Island: 1.4 times the national rate (28,652 births since 1910).
- Delaware: 1.4 times the national rate (13,088 births since 1910).
- Massachusetts: 1.3 times the national rate (172,687 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 1.3 times the national rate (19,722 births since 1910).
- New Jersey: 1.3 times the national rate (172,391 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Robert?
About 2,613,000 living American boys and men share the name Robert. Additionally, an estimated 11,500 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Robert is 62 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Robert
Robert traces to the Continental Germanic name Hrodebert, formed from the elements hrod ('fame', 'glory') and berht ('bright', 'famous', or 'clear'). The name was favored among Frankish nobility and Charlemagne's court, quickly spreading throughout northwest Europe before being firmly planted in Britain by the Normans during the Conquest of 1066.
The name resonated profoundly across medieval history, borne by Robert the Bruce (Robert I of Scotland), who won Scottish independence at Bannockburn in 1314, as well as multiple kings of France and dukes of Normandy. In colonial and early America, Robert was a pillar of political leadership, represented by Founding Father Robert Morris and generations of prominent statesmen.
In United States vital statistics, Robert achieved one of the most extraordinary runs in demographic history. It was the single most popular boys' name in the entire United States for two decades (1924–1939 and again in 1953), holding a spot in the national top ten consecutively from 1880 until 1989—over a century of continuous elite popularity, with over 80,000 baby boys named Robert in single peak years.
Notable people named Robert
- Robert De Niro (1943–), American Academy Award-winning actor
- Robert Downey Jr. (1965–), American Academy Award-winning actor
- Robert Frost (1874–1963), American poet and four-time Pulitzer Prize winner
- Robert Redford (1936–), American actor, director, and founder of Sundance
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 232.
- E. G. Withycombe. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (1977), p. 256.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.