Boy name · Germanic
Robert
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bright fameRobert is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "bright fame". It is used in English, French, German, Dutch, Scandinavian and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Bright fame
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #92 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Robert
As a boy's name, Robert comes from Germanic and means "bright fame". It is used in English, French, German, Dutch, Scandinavian and Scottish.
Robert is also a surname: the 2,899th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 12,105 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Robert on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Robert on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Robert on 5 lists.
“Bright fame; Germanic. Classic with friendly nicknames”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Bright fame; Germanic. Rob, Bob or Bobby for short”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“Bright fame; Germanic. The Bruce, king of Scots from 1306, bore it”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
“Bright fame; Germanic, a royal name in Scotland”
From Names that mean light, germanic names with bert, meaning bright
“Germanic for bright fame; the Bruce won at Bannockburn in 1314.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish kings, saints and heroes
How popular is Robert?
- US rank in 2025
- #92
- 3,772 babies, 2,208 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1 in 1924
- Most babies: 91,655 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 4,849,730
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 21,977 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 22,917 per million |
| 1900s | 26,407 per million |
| 1910s | 35,832 per million |
| 1920s | 52,306 per million |
| 1930s | 55,913 per million |
| 1940s | 50,926 per million |
| 1950s | 41,074 per million |
| 1960s | 33,785 per million |
| 1970s | 24,051 per million |
| 1980s | 17,425 per million |
| 1990s | 10,547 per million |
| 2000s | 5,344 per million |
| 2010s | 3,332 per million |
| 2020s | 2,347 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #62 | #65 | #71 | #76 | #80 | #79 | #84 | #88 | #90 | #92 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Robert
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Robcommon English nickname
- Boba medieval rhyming nickname: Rob also became Hob, Dob and Nob, and Bob came last
- BobbyBob + -y; Bob began as a medieval rhyme on Rob
- Robbiecommon English nickname
- Bertthe stressed syllable of Albert or Robert
Other forms of Robert
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BobbyBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LopakaBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RabBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RabbieBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RaibeartBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RobbieBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RobinBright fame (Germanic, unisex)
- RoibeárdBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RupertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RuprechtBright fame (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Robert
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RogerFamous spear (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RoxanaBright, shining (Persian, girl)
- BertBright (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Robert
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
Robert: common questions
What does the name Robert mean?
Robert comes from Germanic and means "bright fame".
Is Robert a boy or girl name?
Robert is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 5 girls and 3,772 boys in the US were named Robert, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Robert?
Common nicknames for Robert include Rob, Bob, Bobby, Robbie and Bert.
How popular is the name Robert?
Robert ranked #92 in the US in 2025, with 3,772 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Robert?
Forms of Robert with the same meaning and origin include Bobby (English), Lopaka (Hawaiian), Rab (Scottish), Rabbie (Scottish) and Raibeart (Scottish).
What middle names go with Robert?
Middle names that flow well with Robert include Dean, Grant, Hugh, Lamar and Luke. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.