Toby Unisex

Popularity: #706 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: TOH-bee //ˈtoʊ.bi//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God is good; English: Diminutive of Tobias

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Toby is derived from the Hebrew name "Tobiah," which means "Yahweh is good." This name appears in the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Tobit, where Tobiah is the son of Tobit, a prominent figure known for his piety and righteousness. The name was later adopted into Greek as "Tobias" and subsequently into Latin, maintaining its original meaning.

The transition into Old French as "Tobie" facilitated its entry into Middle English as "Toby," which became more common in the English-speaking world by the late medieval period. Historically, the name Toby has been associated with various notable figures, including saints and biblical characters.

The Book of Tobit, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, is one of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible and has contributed to the name's significance in Judeo-Christian traditions. The name gained further prominence in the English-speaking world through its use in literature and religious texts, including the King James Bible published in 1611, which helped solidify its presence in English culture.

Culturally, Toby has been imbued with positive connotations, often symbolizing goodness and divine favor due to its etymological roots. The name has been used in various literary works, including the character Toby Belch in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," which showcases its integration into English literature.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as "Tobias" have also been used historically, reflecting the name's adaptability and enduring appeal across different cultures and eras.

Famous people named Toby

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

We also feature individuals named Toby 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.

Toby Maguire is an actor best known for Spider-Man, Seabiscuit, and The Great Gatsby.

Toby Keith is a country music singer best known for Should've Been a Cowboy, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, and Beer for My Horses.

Toby Jones is an actor best known for Infamous, The Hunger Games, and Sherlock Holmes.

Fictional characters named Toby

The following list of fictional characters named Toby 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.

Toby is a fictional character from the TV series The Office. He is the mild-mannered and often overlooked human resources representative at Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch.

Toby is a fictional character from the novel and film The Hunger Games. He is a loyal friend and ally to the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, during the brutal competition.

Sibling suggestions

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

OliverHenrySamuelEthanLucasNathan

Similar names

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

TobiasTobyasTobinTobiahTobiasz

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Toby was first seen in the United States in 1882.

Toby has ranked as high as #363 nationally, which occurred in 1975, and has been most popular in New York, Texas, California, Ohio, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Toby 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 Toby 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 Toby.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 335 234 101
2024 295 196 99
2023 256 158 98
2022 259 177 82
2021 282 193 89
2020 264 172 92
2019 302 226 76
2018 338 271 67
2017 364 284 80
2016 395 316 79
2015 451 371 80
2014 521 446 75
2013 557 486 71
2012 451 353 98
2011 352 291 61
2010 409 359 50
2009 452 396 56
2008 495 442 53
2007 513 462 51
2006 570 508 62
2005 596 529 67
2004 677 612 65
2003 646 582 64
2002 544 502 42
2001 484 413 71
2000 460 409 51
1999 371 333 38
1998 379 342 37
1997 387 346 41
1996 380 343 37
1995 361 316 45
1994 345 308 37
1993 318 284 34
1992 326 289 37
1991 289 257 32
1990 337 309 28
1989 309 263 46
1988 321 276 45
1987 340 294 46
1986 330 304 26
1985 379 322 57
1984 397 344 53
1983 424 385 39
1982 510 467 43
1981 495 456 39
1980 701 648 53
1979 722 667 55
1978 940 886 54
1977 1,151 1,058 93
1976 1,211 1,094 117
1975 1,349 1,191 158
1974 1,197 1,080 117
1973 1,103 1,005 98
1972 988 890 98
1971 1,107 1,031 76
1970 1,082 982 100
1969 833 754 79
1968 609 555 54
1967 493 426 67
1966 406 351 55
1965 547 473 74
1964 439 375 64
1963 480 390 90
1962 445 360 85
1961 375 301 74
1960 456 374 82
1959 368 295 73
1958 382 299 83
1957 339 250 89
1956 352 244 108
1955 290 190 100
1954 277 184 93
1953 264 180 84
1952 299 191 108
1951 252 143 109
1950 258 148 110
1949 266 149 117
1948 253 136 117
1947 275 148 127
1946 242 126 116
1945 256 123 133
1944 270 153 117
1943 276 116 160
1942 277 121 156
1941 261 91 170
1940 224 77 147
1939 226 72 154
1938 210 53 157
1937 184 66 118
1936 211 59 152
1935 151 57 94
1934 155 54 101
1933 94 36 58
1932 80 44 36
1931 65 30 35
1930 72 30 42
1929 62 27 35
1928 66 25 41
1927 58 33 25
1926 60 21 39
1925 66 27 39
1924 82 23 59
1923 64 28 36
1922 63 24 39
1921 82 23 59
1920 59 22 37
1919 75 30 45
1918 63 24 39
1917 60 22 38
1916 68 22 46
1915 67 27 40
1914 33 14 19
1913 35 11 24
1912 14 0 14
1911 20 7 13
1910 22 6 16
1909 16 8 8
1908 11 0 11
1907 12 6 6
1906 5 5 0
1905 8 8 0
1903 7 0 7
1902 5 0 5
1900 5 5 0
1895 6 6 0
1885 5 5 0
1882 5 5 0

Top States for Toby (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
NY 82
34%
NJ 20
8%
TX 18
8%
GA 16
7%
WI 15
6%
OH 12
5%
PA 10
4%
LA 9
4%
CA 8
3%
MA 6
3%
WA 6
3%
MN 6
3%
FL 6
3%
IL 5
2%
IN 5
2%
KY 5
2%
UT 5
2%
NC 5
2%