Total births
16
Boys' name · since 1920
Obey
16 babies named Obey in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 16
- total births
- 1920–1955
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
Obey sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 16 recorded since 1920.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obey has been recorded 16 times among boys since 1920, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 1955.
- 16 total births
- 1920–1955 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 38% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
16 boys have been named Obey since 1920, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1955.
- 16
- total births
- 1920–1955
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 38%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Obey was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
6 babies were named Obey in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
Obey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Obey's full recorded timeline at 1943, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1943, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 6 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Obey at a glance
Last recorded 1955Peak year
1920
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1920
Obey popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–1955
- Peak year (1920)
- 6
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Obey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Obey's strongest decade.
6 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Obey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s
1920s
6 births
- 1940s
1940s
5 births
- 1950s
1950s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6 births (38% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Obey? ▼
16 babies have been named Obey since 1920. It was last recorded in 1955. The peak year was 1920 with 6 births.
When was Obey most popular? ▼
Obey was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
How long has the name Obey been used? ▼
Records for Obey go back to 1920, giving 36 years of history through 1955.
What names are similar to Obey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Obed, Obert, Oberon, Obediah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Obey's data
- Obey's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (6 total births) through the 1950s (5) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Obey
Nearby Names Like Obey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Obey
Obed Boy
#1939 4,135 births
Obert Boy
619 births
Oberon Boy
#3776 283 births
Obediah Boy
#11008 226 births
Oberyn Boy
#10669 119 births
Compare Obey side by side: Obey vs Obed Obey vs Obert Obey vs Oberon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1920–1955 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Obey: Baby Name Since 1920 - 16 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/obey. 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 Obey 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.