Total births
171,548
Girls' name · since 1880
Roberta
171,548 babies named Roberta in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1953. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2749
- among girls today
- 171,548
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Roberta currently ranks #2749 among girls' names in America, with 171,548 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Roberta recorded 171,548 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2749 nationally today, ahead of 84% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2749 among girls today
- 171,548 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Roberta is currently the #2749 girls' name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 171,548 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #2749
- among girls today
- 171,548
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Roberta vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2749
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Roberta was born in this single decade.
1953
Single peak year
4,299 babies were named Roberta in 1953 - its busiest year on record.
How Roberta compares
171,548 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Roberta's all-time total is 449x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Roberta | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 171,548 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,299 | 48 | 19,840 |
Roberta's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Roberta's full recorded timeline at 1953, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 34 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1953 peak of 4,299 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Roberta at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1953
Current rank
#2,749
Active since
1880
Roberta popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1953)
- 4,299
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Roberta popularity over time - boys
782 total births recorded since 1914 (Roberta as boys' name)
Roberta by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Roberta's strongest decade.
38,051 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Roberta births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 541
1880s
541 births
- 1890s 1,120
1890s
1,120 births
- 1900s 2,372
1900s
2,372 births
- 1910s 10,370
1910s
10,370 births
- 1920s
1920s
18,219 births
- 1930s
1930s
27,731 births
- 1940s
1940s
38,051 births
- 1950s
1950s
37,916 births
- 1960s
1960s
21,101 births
- 1970s 8,094
1970s
8,094 births
- 1980s 3,281
1980s
3,281 births
- 1990s 1,299
1990s
1,299 births
- 2000s 548
2000s
548 births
- 2010s 564
2010s
564 births
- 2020s 341
2020s
341 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 38,051 births (22% of all-time use).
How Roberta compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Roberta's total volume
Roberta vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Roberta by state
Where Roberta concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 15,805 | 9.2% |
| #2 | California | | 14,215 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 11,712 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 11,033 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10,805 | 6.3% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,702 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 6,238 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 5,218 | 3.0% |
New York share of Roberta's total US births 9.2%
Even split
15,805 of 171,548 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Roberta appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Roberta? ▼
171,548 babies have been named Roberta since 1880. It currently ranks #2749 among girls. The peak year was 1953 with 4,299 births.
When was Roberta most popular? ▼
Roberta was most popular in the 1940s decade with 38,051 total births. The single peak year was 1953.
Where is Roberta most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Roberta are New York (15,805 births), California (14,215 births), Pennsylvania (11,712 births).
How long has the name Roberta been used? ▼
Records for Roberta go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Roberta? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Robin, Robyn, Robbie, Robert, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Roberta's data
- Roberta's decade-level peak was the 1940s (38,051 total births); usage has since declined to 341 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Robertas (15,805 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 Roberta
Nearby Names Like Roberta
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Roberta
Robin Girl
#799 291,961 births
Robyn Girl
#1297 63,364 births
Robbie Girl
#3398 22,553 births
Robert Girl
20,119 births
Robbin Girl
8,590 births
Compare Roberta side by side: Roberta vs Robin Roberta vs Robyn Roberta vs Robbie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Roberta
Arha #2748
307 births · Peak 2024
Winnifred #2750
5,127 births · Peak 1918
Jehilyn #2747
541 births · Peak 2022
Marcelina #2751
3,419 births · Peak 2024
Maevyn #2746
445 births · Peak 2025
Vesper #2752
932 births · Peak 2023
Aveah #2745
788 births · Peak 2020
Stephany #2753
15,171 births · Peak 1990
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. "Roberta: #2749 Girls' Name - 171,548 Births, Peak 1953." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/roberta. 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 Roberta 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.