Tobias Boy

Popularity: #270 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: toh-BY-us //təˈbaɪəs//

Origin: Hebrew; Greek; Latin

Meaning: Hebrew: 'God is good'; Greek: 'the Lord is good'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Tobias has its roots in the Hebrew name טוֹבִיָּה (Toviyah), which translates to "God is good." This name was later adapted into Greek as Τοβίας (Tobias) and subsequently passed into Latin as Tobias. The transition into English occurred through the influence of the Latin Vulgate, a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible, where the name appears in the Book of Tobit, a deuterocanonical text.

This biblical connection has significantly shaped the name's historical presence in Christian contexts. Tobias is notably associated with the biblical figure from the Book of Tobit, which recounts the story of Tobit and his son Tobias, who embarks on a journey that leads to themes of faith, healing, and divine providence.

The narrative has been influential in Jewish and Christian traditions, particularly during the Middle Ages when the text was popular among scholars and laypeople alike. The name gained further prominence through various translations of the Bible, including the King James Version in the early 17th century, which helped to solidify its place in Christian nomenclature.

Culturally, Tobias has been embraced in various forms of literature and art, often symbolizing virtue and righteousness. The name has also been linked to various saints, including Saint Tobias, who is commemorated in some Christian calendars.

The diminutive form, Toby, has emerged as a familiar variant, often used affectionately. Overall, the name Tobias carries a rich historical and cultural resonance, reflecting its biblical origins and the enduring themes of goodness and divine favor.

Famous people named Tobias

In this section, you will find notable people named Tobias. 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 Tobias who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Tobias 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.

Tobias Menzies is an actor best known for Outlander, Game of Thrones, and The Terror.

Tobias Forge is a musician best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Ghost.

Tobias Harris is a professional basketball player best known for playing with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fictional characters named Tobias

The following list of fictional characters named Tobias 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.

Tobias is a fictional character from the book series Animorphs. He is one of the main characters who can transform into a hawk, providing unique perspectives and abilities in their fight against alien invaders.

Tobias Eaton is a fictional character from the novel Divergent. He is a key character known for his role as a member of the Dauntless faction and his relationship with the protagonist, Tris Prior.

Sibling suggestions

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

NathanielSamuelElijahIsaiahGabrielDaniel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Tobias. 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.

TobiahTobynTobinTobiasz

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Tobias has ranked as high as #465 nationally, which occurred in 2016, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Tobias 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 Tobias was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

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 Tobias.

Year Total Births Boy
2025 1,201 1,201
2024 1,220 1,220
2023 1,222 1,222
2022 1,262 1,262
2021 1,243 1,243
2020 1,295 1,295
2019 1,319 1,319
2018 1,295 1,295
2017 1,344 1,344
2016 1,523 1,523
2015 1,123 1,123
2014 743 743
2013 568 568
2012 520 520
2011 480 480
2010 495 495
2009 536 536
2008 507 507
2007 572 572
2006 552 552
2005 523 523
2004 493 493
2003 495 495
2002 427 427
2001 365 365
2000 341 341
1999 328 328
1998 317 317
1997 262 262
1996 203 203
1995 220 220
1994 186 186
1993 197 197
1992 163 163
1991 191 191
1990 199 199
1989 196 196
1988 186 186
1987 151 151
1986 171 171
1985 156 156
1984 144 144
1983 155 155
1982 194 194
1981 208 208
1980 246 246
1979 279 279
1978 282 282
1977 256 256
1976 277 277
1975 239 239
1974 212 212
1973 149 149
1972 140 140
1971 126 126
1970 142 142
1969 101 101
1968 58 58
1967 57 57
1966 51 51
1965 70 70
1964 47 47
1963 55 55
1962 43 43
1961 49 49
1960 45 45
1959 37 37
1958 30 30
1957 24 24
1956 20 20
1955 20 20
1954 15 15
1953 15 15
1952 28 28
1951 27 27
1950 27 27
1949 23 23
1948 9 9
1947 11 11
1946 15 15
1945 14 14
1944 17 17
1943 15 15
1942 18 18
1941 20 20
1940 18 18
1939 13 13
1938 7 7
1937 6 6
1936 8 8
1935 9 9
1934 22 22
1933 15 15
1932 11 11
1931 8 8
1930 8 8
1929 8 8
1928 10 10
1927 18 18
1926 13 13
1925 11 11
1924 18 18
1923 15 15
1922 17 17
1921 24 24
1920 21 21
1919 16 16
1918 23 23
1917 27 27
1916 20 20
1915 16 16
1914 11 11
1913 7 7
1912 11 11
1911 5 5
1910 8 8
1908 6 6
1906 8 8
1904 5 5
1902 5 5
1901 8 8
1900 5 5
1897 5 5
1893 6 6
1892 5 5
1890 7 7
1889 10 10
1888 7 7
1884 8 8
1883 6 6
1880 7 7

Top States for Tobias (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 112
9%
CA 90
8%
FL 67
6%
OH 60
5%
PA 45
4%
WA 43
4%
NY 42
4%
MO 39
3%
IN 38
3%
MI 37
3%
TN 37
3%
NC 36
3%
OK 34
3%
IL 33
3%
GA 31
3%
MN 30
3%
AZ 29
2%
CO 29
2%
VA 26
2%
WI 24
2%
KS 24
2%
KY 22
2%
OR 22
2%
MD 20
2%
UT 18
2%
AL 18
2%
AR 17
1%
MA 17
1%
ID 15
1%
WV 15
1%
SC 14
1%
NV 12
1%
CT 12
1%
IA 12
1%
NM 11
1%
NE 9
1%
MS 9
1%
NJ 8
1%
MT 8
1%
ND 7
1%
ME 6
1%
SD 6
1%
LA 5
0%