Total births
4,135
Boys' name · since 1880
Obed
4,135 babies named Obed in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2005. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1939
- among boys today
- 4,135
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
4,135 babies have been named Obed since 1880, making it today's #1939 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Obed recorded 4,135 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1939 nationally today, ahead of 86% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1939 among boys today
- 4,135 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Obed is currently the #1939 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 4,135 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1939
- among boys today
- 4,135
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Obed vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1939
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Obed was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
137 babies were named Obed in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Obed compares
4,135 Top 14% higher than 86% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Obed's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Obed | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,135 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 137 | 23 | 22,252 |
Obed's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Obed splits its recorded history at 1968: 87% of all births land in the more recent half, 13% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1894 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2005 peak of 137 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Obed at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#1,939
Active since
1880
Obed popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 137
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Obed by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Obed's strongest decade.
1,083 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Obed births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s 93
1910s
93 births
- 1920s 136
1920s
136 births
- 1930s 77
1930s
77 births
- 1940s 68
1940s
68 births
- 1950s 71
1950s
71 births
- 1960s 115
1960s
115 births
- 1970s 184
1970s
184 births
- 1980s 326
1980s
326 births
- 1990s
1990s
599 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,083 births
- 2010s
2010s
889 births
- 2020s
2020s
472 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,083 births (26% of all-time use).
How Obed compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Obed's total volume
Obed vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Obed by state
Where Obed concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 743 | 18.0% |
| #2 | California | | 659 | 15.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 141 | 3.4% |
| #4 | New York | | 114 | 2.8% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 104 | 2.5% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 46 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 41 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 27 | 0.7% |
Texas share of Obed's total US births 18.0%
Even split
743 of 4,135 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Obed appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Obed? ▼
4,135 babies have been named Obed since 1880. It currently ranks #1939 among boys. The peak year was 2005 with 137 births.
When was Obed most popular? ▼
Obed was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,083 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Obed most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Obed are Texas (743 births), California (659 births), Florida (141 births).
How long has the name Obed been used? ▼
Records for Obed go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Obed? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Obert, Oberon, Obediah, Oberyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Obed's data
- Obed's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,083 total births) through the 2020s (472) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Obeds (743 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Obed
Nearby Names Like Obed
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Obed
Obert Boy
619 births
Oberon Boy
#3776 283 births
Obediah Boy
#11008 226 births
Oberyn Boy
#10669 119 births
Obe Boy
73 births
Compare Obed side by side: Obed vs Obert Obed vs Oberon Obed vs Obediah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Obed
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Obed: #1939 Boys' Name - 4,135 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/obed. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Obed draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.