Bobby
Boy name · #1100 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 195 baby boys were named Bobby, placing it at #1100 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #740, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,231 boys born in 2025 was named Bobby.
Babies named Bobby per year. Source: SSA.
The 125-year story
Bobby first appears in the Social Security records in 1900, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1937, when 7,745 boys were named Bobby — good for #24 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bobby against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bobby in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bobby is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Bobby will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Bobby is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bobby is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Bobby is most common in GA (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), NC (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Bobby is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Bobby
Bobby belongs to the Robert family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Robert family went to about 4,036 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #81, versus #1100 for Bobby alone.
Names like Bobby
Statistically, parents drawn to Bobby tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Billy, Larry, Benny, Jerry, and Jimmy.
BillyLarryBennyJerryJimmyLeroyRandyGary
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bobby | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 195 | #1097 |
| 2024 | 192 | #1114 |
| 2023 | 169 | #1192 |
| 2022 | 214 | #1032 |
| 2021 | 216 | #1016 |
| 2020 | 268 | #850 |
| 2019 | 250 | #880 |
| 2018 | 272 | #823 |
| 2017 | 298 | #786 |
| 2016 | 322 | #754 |
| 2015 | 328 | #740 |
| 2014 | 313 | #754 |
| 2013 | 363 | #665 |
| 2012 | 331 | #714 |
| 2011 | 346 | #682 |
| 2010 | 458 | #551 |
| 2009 | 458 | #576 |
| 2008 | 515 | #524 |
| 2007 | 523 | #503 |
| 2006 | 546 | #483 |
| 2005 | 505 | #490 |
| 2004 | 573 | #452 |
| 2003 | 559 | #451 |
| 2002 | 644 | #399 |
| 2001 | 655 | #389 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bobby a popular boy name?
Bobby ranked #1100 among boys in 2025 with 195 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #740.
When was the name Bobby most popular?
Bobby peaked in 1937, when 7,745 American boys received the name (ranked #24 that year). Since 1937 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bobby?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,231 newborn American boys was named Bobby. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.