Obed

Obed - A very unique male name

Obed appeared on the charts for the first time in 1948 on position #1515. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Obed and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Obed? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Obed. The baby boy name Obed was given to 29 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2136 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 50,562 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Obed peaked in popularity 21 years ago in 2005 on position 1123.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Obed, 1-5?

Obed is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Obed is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #1,006 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,391.

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 Obed is where you live.

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Obed origin and meaning

Hebrew (Biblical)

From Hebrew 'oved, 'servant, worshipper'

Obed is a biblical name borne by the grandfather of King David, son of Ruth and Boaz, and by several other men in the Hebrew Bible. Its root is the ordinary Hebrew word for a servant or worshipper. US use is old, small and steady — it has appeared in over 50 years of the data without ever being common.

Attested etymology

Obed is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Obed, pop culture references for the name Obed and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Obed

We've found the following names that sound similar to Obed, sorted by popularity.

Obadiah / Ovidio / Ovadia / Ovide / Oved /

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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)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Obed

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 Obed 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 Obed?

2 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.

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Pronunciation

OH-bed · /ˈoʊbɛd/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Obadiah — A longer biblical name from the same root; a different name, not a variant.

Famous bearers

• Obed — Grandfather of King David in the Book of Ruth (Biblical) Historical

Style

Biblical

Why parents choose it

A short, deep-rooted biblical name for families who like their scripture names off the beaten path.

Worth knowing

• It may be misheard as Obadiah or read as a word ('obeyed' without the y).