Roberta
Roberta was given to 61 girls in 2025, #2,809 among girls’ names; 172,330 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 90,300 Americans named Roberta and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (52% of everyone recorded); the median is 71 years old and half are between 62 and 79.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Roberta by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Roberta mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Roberta is “a female given name from the Germanic languages, masculine equivalent Robert.”
By surface analysis, Robert + -a.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Roberta?
#2,809 among girls’ names, 2025
Roberta rose from #2,840 in 2015 to #2,809 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 34.7 to 38.0 per million.
4,310 babies in 1953, the peak
Roberta peaked in 1953, when 4,310 babies were given it (4,299 girls, #90 among girls’ names). The 61 births of 2025 are 1% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #2,809 | 0.04 |
| 2024 | 62 | #2,767 | 0.04 |
| 2023 | 64 | #2,729 | 0.04 |
| 2022 | 65 | #2,680 | 0.04 |
| 2021 | 48 | #3,330 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 41 | #3,667 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 58 | #2,885 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 58 | #2,898 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 55 | #3,009 | 0.03 |
| 2016 | 61 | #2,822 | 0.03 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 62 | #2,840 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 66 | #2,676 | 0.04 |
| 2013 | 42 | #3,687 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 57 | #2,998 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 60 | #2,900 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 45 | #3,560 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 38 | #4,084 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 42 | #3,840 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 59 | #3,022 | 0.03 |
| 2006 | 66 | #2,721 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 54 | #2,995 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 46 | #3,313 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 42 | #3,451 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 64 | #2,487 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 71 | #2,278 | 0.04 |
| 2000 | 66 | #2,364 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 76 | #2,045 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 87 | #1,795 | 0.05 |
| 1997 | 96 | #1,647 | 0.06 |
| 1996 | 108 | #1,500 | 0.06 |
| 1995 | 108 | #1,478 | 0.06 |
| 1994 | 119 | #1,384 | 0.07 |
| 1993 | 149 | #1,175 | 0.08 |
| 1992 | 164 | #1,096 | 0.09 |
| 1991 | 190 | #987 | 0.10 |
| 1990 | 202 | #940 | 0.11 |
| 1989 | 232 | #818 | 0.13 |
| 1988 | 209 | #857 | 0.12 |
| 1987 | 261 | #700 | 0.15 |
| 1986 | 284 | #649 | 0.17 |
| 1985 | 290 | #642 | 0.17 |
| 1984 | 315 | #581 | 0.19 |
| 1983 | 335 | #552 | 0.20 |
| 1982 | 412 | #495 | 0.24 |
| 1981 | 462 | #464 | 0.28 |
| 1980 | 481 | #444 | 0.29 |
| 1979 | 494 | #423 | 0.31 |
| 1978 | 529 | #393 | 0.35 |
| 1977 | 575 | #373 | 0.38 |
| 1976 | 617 | #347 | 0.42 |
| 1975 | 670 | #332 | 0.46 |
| 1974 | 820 | #292 | 0.56 |
| 1973 | 867 | #282 | 0.59 |
| 1972 | 978 | #270 | 0.64 |
| 1971 | 1,169 | #253 | 0.70 |
| 1970 | 1,375 | #228 | 0.79 |
| 1969 | 1,506 | #207 | 0.89 |
| 1968 | 1,492 | #206 | 0.91 |
| 1967 | 1,620 | #195 | 1.0 |
| 1966 | 1,819 | #180 | 1.1 |
| 1965 | 2,129 | #167 | 1.2 |
| 1964 | 2,277 | #172 | 1.2 |
| 1963 | 2,322 | #169 | 1.2 |
| 1962 | 2,532 | #159 | 1.3 |
| 1961 | 2,561 | #162 | 1.3 |
| 1960 | 2,843 | #149 | 1.4 |
| 1959 | 3,079 | #142 | 1.5 |
| 1958 | 3,302 | #133 | 1.6 |
| 1957 | 3,707 | #121 | 1.8 |
| 1956 | 3,866 | #116 | 1.9 |
| 1955 | 3,783 | #113 | 1.9 |
| 1954 | 4,043 | #102 | 2.1 |
| 1953 | 4,299 | #90 | 2.3 |
| 1952 | 4,228 | #88 | 2.3 |
| 1951 | 3,979 | #92 | 2.2 |
| 1950 | 3,630 | #96 | 2.1 |
| 1949 | 3,660 | #97 | 2.1 |
| 1948 | 3,667 | #101 | 2.2 |
| 1947 | 4,261 | #90 | 2.4 |
| 1946 | 4,016 | #86 | 2.6 |
| 1945 | 3,602 | #75 | 2.8 |
| 1944 | 3,744 | #70 | 2.8 |
| 1943 | 4,169 | #66 | 3.0 |
| 1942 | 4,105 | #66 | 3.0 |
| 1941 | 3,396 | #72 | 2.8 |
| 1940 | 3,431 | #71 | 3.0 |
| 1939 | 3,409 | #71 | 3.1 |
| 1938 | 3,547 | #73 | 3.2 |
| 1937 | 3,568 | #66 | 3.4 |
| 1936 | 3,467 | #64 | 3.3 |
| 1935 | 3,180 | #77 | 3.0 |
| 1934 | 2,371 | #104 | 2.3 |
| 1933 | 2,039 | #112 | 2.0 |
| 1932 | 2,243 | #109 | 2.1 |
| 1931 | 1,955 | #121 | 1.8 |
| 1930 | 1,952 | #125 | 1.7 |
| 1929 | 1,971 | #126 | 1.8 |
| 1928 | 1,923 | #127 | 1.7 |
| 1927 | 2,232 | #122 | 1.9 |
| 1926 | 1,877 | #135 | 1.6 |
| 1925 | 1,759 | #147 | 1.4 |
| 1924 | 1,772 | #147 | 1.4 |
| 1923 | 1,658 | #152 | 1.4 |
| 1922 | 1,659 | #150 | 1.4 |
| 1921 | 1,732 | #148 | 1.4 |
| 1920 | 1,636 | #144 | 1.4 |
| 1919 | 1,552 | #144 | 1.4 |
| 1918 | 1,680 | #142 | 1.5 |
| 1917 | 1,426 | #149 | 1.3 |
| 1916 | 1,313 | #155 | 1.3 |
| 1915 | 1,156 | #161 | 1.2 |
| 1914 | 921 | #158 | 1.2 |
| 1913 | 755 | #155 | 1.2 |
| 1912 | 693 | #157 | 1.2 |
| 1911 | 441 | #171 | 1.1 |
| 1910 | 433 | #164 | 1.1 |
| 1909 | 353 | #171 | 1.0 |
| 1908 | 296 | #190 | 0.89 |
| 1907 | 291 | #188 | 0.91 |
| 1906 | 233 | #202 | 0.79 |
| 1905 | 243 | #196 | 0.83 |
| 1904 | 211 | #209 | 0.77 |
| 1903 | 205 | #206 | 0.78 |
| 1902 | 176 | #227 | 0.67 |
| 1901 | 165 | #223 | 0.69 |
| 1900 | 199 | #225 | 0.66 |
| 1899 | 140 | #234 | 0.60 |
| 1898 | 144 | #247 | 0.56 |
| 1897 | 130 | #250 | 0.56 |
| 1896 | 113 | #271 | 0.47 |
| 1895 | 130 | #242 | 0.56 |
| 1894 | 116 | #255 | 0.52 |
| 1893 | 82 | #304 | 0.39 |
| 1892 | 86 | #293 | 0.41 |
| 1891 | 88 | #262 | 0.47 |
| 1890 | 91 | #264 | 0.48 |
| 1889 | 73 | #280 | 0.41 |
| 1888 | 74 | #269 | 0.41 |
| 1887 | 64 | #265 | 0.44 |
| 1886 | 72 | #243 | 0.50 |
| 1885 | 45 | #302 | 0.34 |
| 1884 | 55 | #265 | 0.43 |
| 1883 | 48 | #264 | 0.43 |
| 1882 | 35 | #299 | 0.32 |
| 1881 | 41 | #250 | 0.45 |
| 1880 | 34 | #270 | 0.37 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Roberta a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Roberta has been given almost only to girls: 782 boys in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Roberta: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Roberta, and how old are they?
90,300 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 52% of the 172,330 Americans ever recorded as Roberta. The median Roberta alive today is 71 years old; half are between 62 and 79.
The 2020 Census counted 104,467 people named Roberta (104,165 women and girls, 302 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 106,103 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 18,300 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 50,600 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 15,800 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 3,780 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 958 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 738 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Roberta born?
The states with the most babies named Roberta are New York, California and Pennsylvania, with 25% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 15,805 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| California | 14,215 | #3,034 | 1.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 11,712 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Illinois | 11,033 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Ohio | 10,805 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Michigan | 6,702 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Massachusetts | 6,238 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Indiana | 5,218 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Texas | 5,031 | #1,217 | 0.5× |
| Missouri | 4,437 | not ranked | 1.0× |
Where Roberta is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Roberta is most over-represented in Montana: since 1910 it was given 1.7 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Roberta with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 172,407 babies since 1880, Roberta is the most given (100% of them). In 2025 it was given to 61 of their 61 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Roberta
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Roberta and names like it
- Compare Roberta and RoberttaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sRoberta peaked in 1953.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Roberta since 1910.
- Germanic namesWiktionary’s origin for Roberta: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1953The year the most babies were named Roberta.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Roberta alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with RMost given first.