Robert
Boy name · #92 in 2025 · Well-known
Robert ranks #92 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 3,772 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #63, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 477 boys born in 2025 was named Robert.
Babies named Robert per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Robert first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 2,415 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 91,655 boys were named Robert — good for #2 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 Robert against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Robert in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Robert is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Robert is most common
Geography matters for names, and Robert is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Robert is most common in VT (8.3 per 1,000), DC (6.3 per 1,000), NH (6.2 per 1,000), HI (4.8 per 1,000), RI (4.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.6 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Robert is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Robert
Robert carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Robert family went to about 4,036 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #81, versus #92 for Robert alone.
Names like Robert
Statistically, parents drawn to Robert tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Richard, Charles, Thomas, Peter, and Steven.
RichardCharlesThomasPeterStevenDavidTimothyVincent
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Robert | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,772 | #92 |
| 2024 | 3,806 | #90 |
| 2023 | 3,827 | #88 |
| 2022 | 4,082 | #84 |
| 2021 | 4,436 | #79 |
| 2020 | 4,402 | #80 |
| 2019 | 4,853 | #76 |
| 2018 | 5,191 | #71 |
| 2017 | 5,566 | #65 |
| 2016 | 6,010 | #62 |
| 2015 | 6,137 | #63 |
| 2014 | 6,660 | #60 |
| 2013 | 6,721 | #62 |
| 2012 | 6,963 | #60 |
| 2011 | 6,984 | #62 |
| 2010 | 7,569 | #54 |
| 2009 | 7,842 | #55 |
| 2008 | 8,841 | #49 |
| 2007 | 9,388 | #47 |
| 2006 | 9,911 | #47 |
| 2005 | 10,166 | #37 |
| 2004 | 10,684 | #36 |
| 2003 | 11,399 | #35 |
| 2002 | 12,031 | #34 |
| 2001 | 12,665 | #30 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Robert a popular boy name?
Robert ranked #92 among boys in 2025 with 3,772 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #63.
When was the name Robert most popular?
Robert peaked in 1947, when 91,655 American boys received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Robert?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 477 newborn American boys was named Robert. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
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.