Total births
4,165
Unisex name · since 1880
Obie
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 4,165 babies named Obie, peaking in 1924. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5245
- among boys today
- 4,165
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Obie currently ranks #5245 among unisex names in America, with 4,165 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Obie has been recorded 4,165 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #5245 nationally and more common than 63% of boys, 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 1880 to 2025.
- #5245 among boys today
- 4,165 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Obie is currently the #5245 unisex name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 4,165 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5245
- among boys today
- 4,165
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Obie vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5245
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Obie was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
88 babies were named Obie in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Obie compares
4,165 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
Obie's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Obie | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,165 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 88 | 23 | 22,252 |
Obie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Obie's full recorded timeline at 1952, 34% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 66% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1924 peak of 88 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Obie at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#5,245
Active since
1880
Obie popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 88
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Obie popularity over time - girls
271 total births recorded since 1900 (Obie as girls' name)
Obie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Obie's strongest decade.
680 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Obie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 74
1880s
74 births
- 1890s 118
1890s
118 births
- 1900s 162
1900s
162 births
- 1910s
1910s
556 births
- 1920s
1920s
680 births
- 1930s
1930s
559 births
- 1940s
1940s
522 births
- 1950s
1950s
407 births
- 1960s
1960s
282 births
- 1970s 244
1970s
244 births
- 1980s 142
1980s
142 births
- 1990s 67
1990s
67 births
- 2000s 141
2000s
141 births
- 2010s 118
2010s
118 births
- 2020s 93
2020s
93 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 680 births (16% of all-time use).
How Obie 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 Obie's total volume
Obie vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Obie by state
Where Obie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 383 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 283 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 266 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 159 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 102 | 2.4% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 91 | 2.2% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 57 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 41 | 1.0% |
Texas share of Obie's total US births 9.2%
Even split
383 of 4,165 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Obie appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Obie? ▼
4,165 babies have been named Obie since 1880. It currently ranks #5245 among boys. The peak year was 1924 with 88 births.
When was Obie most popular? ▼
Obie was most popular in the 1920s decade with 680 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Obie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Obie are Texas (383 births), Georgia (283 births), Alabama (266 births).
Is Obie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Obie is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 4,165 births, and as a girl's name it has 271 births.
How long has the name Obie been used? ▼
Records for Obie go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Obie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Obinna, Obi, Obidiah, Obiora, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Obie's data
- Obie's decade-level peak was the 1920s (680 total births); usage has since declined to 93 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Obies (383 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 Obie
Nearby Names Like Obie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Obie
Obinna Boy
#8508 874 births
Obi Boy
#3871 299 births
Obidiah Boy
#8921 16 births
Obiora Boy
6 births
Obichukwu Boy
5 births
Compare Obie side by side: Obie vs Obinna Obie vs Obi Obie vs Obidiah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Obie
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. "Obie: #5245 Unisex Name - 4,165 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/obie. 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 Obie 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.