Robert Boy

Popularity: #89 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ROB-urt //ˈrɒb.ərt//

Origin: Germanic; Old High German

Meaning: Fame-bright; bright fame

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Robert has its roots in the Germanic elements "hrod," meaning "fame," and "beraht," meaning "bright" or "shining." This etymology is reflected in the Old High German form "Hruodberht," which evolved into the Old French "Robert" after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. The name was subsequently adopted into Middle English as "Robert," maintaining its original pronunciation and meaning.

The transition from Germanic to Old French and then to English illustrates the linguistic influences of the time, particularly the impact of Norman culture on the English language following 1066. Historically, the name Robert has been borne by numerous notable figures, contributing to its prominence.

One of the earliest recorded bearers was Robert I of Scotland, also known as Robert the Bruce, who reigned in the early 14th century and is celebrated for his role in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Additionally, Saint Robert of Molesme, a 11th-century Benedictine monk, founded the Cistercian order, further embedding the name in religious and cultural history.

The name appears in significant literary works, including the King James Bible, where it is associated with various biblical figures, enhancing its historical resonance. Culturally, Robert has been associated with nobility and leadership, often symbolizing strength and valor.

The name has produced various diminutive forms, such as Rob and Bobby, which have also been used in different cultural contexts. Over the centuries, Robert has maintained a strong presence in literature, art, and history, often representing ideals of bravery and honor.

Its enduring legacy is reflected in the many historical and cultural narratives that feature individuals named Robert, making it a name of considerable significance across various domains.

Famous people named Robert

In this section, you will find notable people named Robert. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Robert who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Robert who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Robert Downey Jr. is an actor best known for Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, and Avengers: Endgame.

Robert Pattinson is an actor best known for Twilight, The Lighthouse, and Tenet.

Robert De Niro is an actor best known for Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas.

Robert Redford is an actor and director best known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and Ordinary People.

Robert Frost is a poet best known for The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and Mending Wall.

Robert Louis Stevenson is an author best known for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Robert Plant is a musician best known as the lead singer of Led Zeppelin and for his solo career.

Robert Rodriguez is a filmmaker best known for Desperado, Sin City, and Spy Kids.

Robert Zemeckis is a director best known for Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Robert Altman is a director best known for M*A*S*H, Nashville, and The Player.

Robert Iger is a business executive best known for his role as CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Robert B. Parker is an author best known for the Spenser series and Jesse Stone series.

Robert Capa is a photographer best known for his war photography and co-founding Magnum Photos.

Robert Johnson is a musician best known for his influence on blues music and songs like Cross Road Blues and Hellhound on My Trail.

Robert H. Goddard is an engineer and inventor best known for his work in rocketry and launching the first liquid-fueled rocket.

Robert M. Pirsig is an author best known for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Robert Langdon is a fictional character best known for his role in Dan Brown's novels, including The Da Vinci Code.

Robert Crumb is a cartoonist best known for his work in underground comix and the creation of characters like Fritz the Cat.

Robert C. Martin is a software engineer best known for his book Clean Code and contributions to Agile software development.

Robert McKee is a screenwriting lecturer best known for his book Story and his seminars on storytelling.

Robert A. Heinlein is an author best known for science fiction works like Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers.

Robert H. Miller is a businessman best known for his role in the development of the Miller Brewing Company.

Robert Kiyosaki is an entrepreneur and author best known for his book Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Robert McDonald is a businessman best known for his role as CEO of Procter & Gamble.

Robert Shiller is an economist best known for his work on behavioral finance and the Case-Shiller Index.

Robert F. Smith is a businessman best known as the founder of Vista Equity Partners.

Robert W. Chambers is an author best known for his book The King in Yellow.

Fictional characters named Robert

The following list of fictional characters named Robert is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Robert Langdon is a fictional character from the novel series by Dan Brown. He is a Harvard symbologist who solves complex puzzles and uncovers historical mysteries.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Robert, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

RichardWilliamThomasEdwardJamesCharles

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Robert. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

RonaldRogerRoderickRobinRalphRubenRocco

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Robert was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Robert has ranked as high as #3 nationally, which occurred in 1947, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Robert has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Robert is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Robert was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Robert (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 394
11%
TX 335
9%
NY 248
7%
FL 245
7%
PA 170
5%
OH 159
4%
NC 152
4%
GA 137
4%
TN 121
3%
MI 117
3%
VA 108
3%
IL 107
3%
SC 86
2%
AL 85
2%
MA 75
2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Robert.

YearBirths
20243,785
20233,823
20224,078
20214,430
20204,401
20194,851
20185,191
20175,566
20166,005
20156,132
20146,660
20136,721
20126,963
20116,984
20107,564
20097,838
20088,840
20079,388
20069,911
200510,166
200410,681
200311,399
200212,031
200112,665
200013,739
199914,540
199815,527
199716,303
199617,676
199518,586
199420,559
199322,447
199224,095
199126,836
199028,885
198930,073
198830,317
198730,240
198631,351
198532,095
198431,772
198332,744
198234,414
198134,397
198034,269
197934,018
197833,379
197734,217
197633,791
197535,308
197437,009
197338,698
197243,015
197150,635
197057,179
196958,303
196858,186
196756,371
196659,309
196563,112
196469,983
196369,997
196270,201
196172,963
196072,344
195974,542
195877,334
195781,776
195683,912
195583,755
195486,333
195386,245
195286,588
195186,355
195083,551
194983,876
194885,475
194791,654
194684,138
194569,945
194470,855
194374,890
194271,841
194164,247
194061,194
193959,659
193862,270
193761,842
193658,501
193556,525
193455,843
193354,219
193259,268
193160,520
193062,152
192959,808
192860,701
192761,674
192661,130
192560,896
192460,799
192356,113
192253,796
192152,779
192048,679
191941,025
191840,619
191735,220
191631,741
191528,737
191421,188
191315,684
191212,836
19116,526
19105,609
19094,563
19084,219
19074,020
19063,635
19053,410
19043,414
19033,044
19023,180
19012,543
19003,821
18992,609
18982,932
18972,701
18962,719
18952,635
18942,497
18932,563
18922,710
18912,240
18902,541
18892,513
18882,814
18872,125
18862,443
18852,322
18842,468
18832,334
18822,500
18812,140
18802,415