Bob - A very unique male name
Bob at a glance
Bob is ranked #3811 among boy baby names in 2017, with 5 births in 2017. It peaked in 1934 at #75 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2017
- #3811
- Births in 2017
- 5
- Peak year
- 1934 (#75)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Popularity
- 1 in 321,917 boys
- Visitor rating
- 1.5/5 (8 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 321,917 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bob peaked in popularity 92 years ago in 1934 on position 75.
Famous with this name
Bob Odenkirk
Bob Gunton
Bob Hoskins
How would you rate Bob, 1-5?
Bob is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bob is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,607 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,607.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bob is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Bob origin and meaning
Germanic (short form)
The traditional rhyming short form of Robert: Robert shortened to Rob, then rhymed to Bob — Robert from Germanic hruod, 'fame,' plus beraht, 'bright'
Bob is Robert's rhyming nickname, a pattern medieval England loved (Rob to Bob, like Will to Bill). As a registered name it peaked in 1959 in data from 1910, with 88,253 lifetime births, but it is absent from the data in both 2020 and 2025. Its most famous bearer made the mechanism famous too: Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman and took Bob as part of his stage name.
Attested etymology
Bob is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Bob, pop culture references for the name Bob and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Bob
We've found the following names that sound similar to Bob, sorted by popularity.
Bobby / Beau / Bobbie / Bo / Baby / Bowie / Babyboy / Bee / Boy / Bao /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3811 |
| 2015 | 3349 |
| 2013 | 3473 |
| 2011 | 3856 |
| 2009 | 2834 |
| 2008 | 3900 |
| 2004 | 3760 |
| 2002 | 3419 |
| 1997 | 2705 |
| 1996 | 2642 |
| 1994 | 2849 |
| 1993 | 2493 |
| 1992 | 2237 |
| 1991 | 1547 |
| 1990 | 1573 |
| 1989 | 1546 |
| 1988 | 1554 |
| 1987 | 1416 |
| 1986 | 1469 |
| 1985 | 1040 |
| 1984 | 1209 |
| 1983 | 1056 |
| 1982 | 985 |
| 1981 | 1002 |
| 1980 | 948 |
| 1979 | 949 |
| 1978 | 955 |
| 1977 | 831 |
| 1976 | 791 |
| 1975 | 670 |
| 1974 | 639 |
| 1973 | 585 |
| 1972 | 550 |
| 1971 | 451 |
| 1970 | 411 |
| 1969 | 379 |
| 1968 | 360 |
| 1967 | 324 |
| 1966 | 279 |
| 1965 | 230 |
| 1964 | 198 |
| 1963 | 167 |
| 1962 | 151 |
| 1961 | 141 |
| 1960 | 131 |
| 1959 | 128 |
| 1958 | 138 |
| 1957 | 171 |
| 1956 | 228 |
| 1955 | 247 |
| 1954 | 267 |
| 1953 | 262 |
| 1952 | 245 |
| 1951 | 234 |
| 1950 | 204 |
| 1949 | 162 |
| 1948 | 139 |
| 1947 | 115 |
| 1946 | 107 |
| 1945 | 106 |
| 1944 | 109 |
| 1943 | 110 |
| 1942 | 110 |
| 1941 | 103 |
| 1940 | 99 |
| 1939 | 89 |
| 1938 | 93 |
| 1937 | 81 |
| 1936 | 77 |
| 1935 | 81 |
| 1934 | 75 |
| 1933 | 82 |
| 1932 | 79 |
| 1931 | 78 |
| 1930 | 88 |
| 1929 | 89 |
| 1928 | 95 |
| 1927 | 100 |
| 1926 | 103 |
| 1925 | 129 |
| 1924 | 141 |
| 1923 | 164 |
| 1922 | 175 |
| 1921 | 178 |
| 1920 | 189 |
| 1919 | 222 |
| 1918 | 243 |
| 1917 | 268 |
| 1916 | 293 |
| 1915 | 294 |
| 1914 | 318 |
| 1913 | 332 |
| 1912 | 324 |
| 1911 | 306 |
| 1910 | 231 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| California | 2607 |
Even more about Bob
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Bob a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Bob?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
BOB · /bɒb/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Bobby — The diminutive form of the same nickname
- Rob — The short form Bob was rhymed from
Nicknames: Bobby
Famous bearers
- Bob Dylan — Singer-songwriter and Nobel laureate in Literature, born Robert Zimmerman and known worldwide as Bob Dylan (b. 1941) Contemporary
- Bob Barker — Longtime host of The Price Is Right, born Robert Barker and known as Bob Barker (1923–2023) Contemporary
Style
Nickname nameShort formClassic
Why parents choose it
The friendliest name in the Robert family — Nobel laureate and game-show institution included — though babies today get Robert, if anything, not Bob.
Worth knowing
- Robert will be assumed to be the 'real' name
- Also a verb ('bobbing') and countless common nouns; absent from the data in 2020 and 2025
