Total births
4,849,730
Boys' name · since 1880
Robert
Robert has 4,849,730 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1947 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #90
- among boys today
- 4,849,730
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Robert is the #90 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,849,730 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Robert recorded 4,849,730 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #90 nationally today, ahead of 99.4% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #90 among boys today
- 4,849,730 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 99.4% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Robert is currently the #90 boys' name in America, more common than 99.4% of boys - 4,849,730 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #90
- among boys today
- 4,849,730
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.4%
- more common than other boys
Robert vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#90
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.4% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Robert was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
91,655 babies were named Robert in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Robert compares
4,849,730 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Robert's all-time total is 13,215x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Robert | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,849,730 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 91,655 | 23 | 22,252 |
Robert's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Robert splits its recorded history at 1953: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1887 (2,125 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 91,655 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Robert at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#90
Active since
1880
Robert popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 91,655
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Robert popularity over time - girls
20,119 total births recorded since 1880 (Robert as girls' name)
Robert by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Robert's strongest decade.
830,395 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Robert births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 24,074
1880s
24,074 births
- 1890s 26,147
1890s
26,147 births
- 1900s 35,849
1900s
35,849 births
- 1910s 239,185
1910s
239,185 births
- 1920s
1920s
576,374 births
- 1930s
1930s
590,810 births
- 1940s
1940s
758,126 births
- 1950s
1950s
830,395 births
- 1960s
1960s
650,786 births
- 1970s
1970s
397,225 births
- 1980s 321,655
1980s
321,655 births
- 1990s 205,459
1990s
205,459 births
- 2000s 106,666
2000s
106,666 births
- 2010s 62,654
2010s
62,654 births
- 2020s 24,325
2020s
24,325 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 830,395 births (17% of all-time use).
How Robert 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 Robert's total volume
Robert vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Robert by state
Where Robert concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 441,116 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 353,383 | 7.3% |
| #3 | California | | 353,351 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 279,412 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 277,790 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 224,847 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 216,253 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 172,687 | 3.6% |
New York share of Robert's total US births 9.1%
Even split
441,116 of 4,849,730 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Robert appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Robert? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 4,849,730 babies named Robert. Today it holds rank #90 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 91,655 births.
When was Robert most popular? ▼
Robert was most popular in the 1950s decade with 830,395 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Robert most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Robert are New York (441,116 births), Pennsylvania (353,383 births), California (353,351 births).
How long has the name Robert been used? ▼
Robert has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Robert? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Roberto, Robin, Robbie, Robby, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Robert's data
- Robert's decade-level peak was the 1950s (830,395 total births); usage has since declined to 24,325 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Roberts (441,116 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Robert
Nearby Names Like Robert
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Robert
Roberto Boy
#552 112,643 births
Robin Boy
#798 46,952 births
Robbie Boy
#2447 21,386 births
Robby Boy
#4453 10,565 births
Rob Boy
#10966 8,775 births
Compare Robert side by side: Robert vs Roberto Robert vs Robin Robert vs Robbie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Robert
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. "Robert: #90 Boys' Name - 4,849,730 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/robert. 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 Robert 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.