Tobias

Tobias - A very unique male name

Tobias appeared on the charts for the first time in 1914 on position #1476. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Tobias and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Tobias? 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 Tobias. The baby boy name Tobias was given to 1,184 baby boys in 2025, ranking #283 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,238 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Tobias peaked in popularity 10 years ago in 2016 on position 246.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Tobias, 1-5?

Tobias is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Tobias is currently topping the baby name charts in South Dakota at position #125 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #754.

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 Tobias is where you live.

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Tobias origin and meaning

Greek form of a Hebrew name

'God is good' — the Greek form of Tobiah, from tov (good) and Yah (God)

Tobias is the Greek form in which the Hebrew name Tobiah travelled through the Book of Tobit and into European use. It has a long, quiet US history since 1914, peaked in 2016, and now sits at #283. The short form Toby does most of the everyday work and has a friendlier, less formal feel than the full name.

Attested etymology

Tobias is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Tobias

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

Tavis / Tobechukwu / Tavish / Tabias / Tivis / Tavius / Tevis /

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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 Tobias

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 Tobias 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 Tobias?

3 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

toh-BY-us · /təˈbaɪəs/

Around the world

• Tobías (Spanish) — Spanish form with the stress marked
• Tobias (German) — Used as-is in German and Scandinavian languages

Spellings and nicknames

• Tobiah — The original Hebrew form

Nicknames: Toby

Famous bearers

• Tobias — Hero of the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, guided on his journey by the angel Raphael (Biblical) Historical
• Tobias Wolff — American novelist and memoirist, author of This Boy's Life (b. 1945) Contemporary
• Tobias Harris — American NBA forward (b. 1992) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Tobias is a substantial biblical name with an easy nickname, chosen by parents who want tradition without the top-100 crowd.

Worth knowing

• Expect Toby to take over informally whether you plan it or not.