Holding steady, #9,714 for boys today.
Popularity of Roby since 1884
Babies named Roby per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1964, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Roby's real moment was 1901.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 40 |
| 1900s | 40 |
| 1910s | 222 |
| 1920s | 267 |
| 1930s | 242 |
| 1940s | 289 |
| 1950s | 260 |
| 1960s | 358 |
| 1970s | 245 |
| 1980s | 143 |
| 1990s | 137 |
| 2000s | 122 |
| 2010s | 61 |
| 2020s | 37 |
Meaning & origin
Roby is a rare diminutive of Robert that saw its peak popularity in 1901, though even then it ranked among the lower tiers of usage. In 2025, its incidence was approximately 1 in 244,011 births, placing it at rank 9,714. The name has remained consistently rare over the decades, with no recorded top state preferences, reflecting its status as an uncommon choice. As a short form of Robert, which has been a classic name for centuries, Roby offers a familiar yet distinctive alternative for parents seeking a vintage nickname-style name without the ubiquity of more common variants like Rob or Robbie.
Roby is a diminutive form of Robert, which derives from the Germanic elements 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright). It emerged in medieval England as a nickname or pet name for Robert. While Roby was occasionally used as an independent given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it remains uncommon.
“Roby” around the world
Where Roby lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Roby
Names that share Roby's style, for a brother or sister.
