Bob
Bob is a boy's name of Germanic origin.
Meaning
Bright fame.
Origin and history
Bob originated as a traditional English short form of Robert, which comes from Germanic elements meaning 'bright fame'. Historically immensely popular throughout the 20th century in the U.S., it was widely used both as a standalone given name and a nickname. In recent decades, its usage as an official birth name has become much less common.
Popularity in the United States
92,986 babies in the United States have been named Bob since 1880. It ranks #329 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1887.
States where it is most popular
- CA (13.8 %)
- IL (7 %)
- OH (6.1 %)
- TX (5.4 %)
- MO (5.2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 569 |
| 1890-1900 | 548 |
| 1900-1910 | 681 |
| 1910-1920 | 2,678 |
| 1920-1930 | 13,691 |
| 1930-1940 | 23,293 |
| 1940-1950 | 21,376 |
| 1950-1960 | 12,902 |
| 1960-1970 | 13,789 |
| 1970-1980 | 1,983 |
| 1980-1990 | 751 |
| 1990-2000 | 367 |
| 2000-2010 | 184 |
| 2010-2019 | 134 |
| 2020-2029 | 40 |
Famous people named Bob
- Bob Dylan: Singer, Songwriter
- Bob Marley: Singer, Musician
- Bob Hope: Comedian, Actor
Nicknames
Bobby
Fun facts
- Bob developed in medieval England as a rhyming variant of Rob, which was a short form of Robert.
- Bob was frequently given as a formal first name in the United States during the 1920s through the 1950s.