Robert
Germanic hrod “fame” plus beraht “bright,” brought to England by the Normans.
Popularity, 1880–2025
A Norman classic meaning 'bright fame'; it held the boys' No. 1 spot through most of the interwar years.
Robert appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 2025. It has been the single most popular name for American boys in 17 different years, first in 1924 and most recently in 1953. Its biggest year was 1947, when 91,655 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 2 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1924, at No. 1. In 2025 it ranked No. 92 for boys. All told, 4,869,849 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Robbert (580) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Bruce, Robin, Bobby, Roberta, Bob
Explore Robert interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 24,074 | No. 8 |
| 1890s | 26,147 | No. 7 |
| 1900s | 35,849 | No. 5 |
| 1910s | 239,185 | No. 4 |
| 1920s | 576,374 | No. 1 |
| 1930s | 590,810 | No. 1 |
| 1940s | 758,126 | No. 2 |
| 1950s | 830,395 | No. 1 |
| 1960s | 650,786 | No. 5 |
| 1970s | 397,225 | No. 5 |
| 1980s | 321,655 | No. 8 |
| 1990s | 205,459 | No. 13 |
| 2000s | 106,666 | No. 29 |
| 2010s | 62,654 | No. 54 |
| 2020s | 24,325 | No. 79 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.