Total births
949
Boys' name · since 1880
Tobe
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 949 babies named Tobe, peaking in 1916. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 949
- total births
- 1880–2022
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- born in that decade
Tobe is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 949 have been recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tobe has been recorded 949 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. 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 2022.
- 949 total births
- 1880–2022 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 14% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
949 boys have been named Tobe since 1880, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 2022.
- 949
- total births
- 1880–2022
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Tobe was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
20 babies were named Tobe in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Tobe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tobe splits its recorded history at 1935: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1916 peak of 20 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tobe at a glance
Last recorded 2022Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Tobe popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2022
- Peak year (1916)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Tobe popularity over time - girls
29 total births recorded since 1945 (Tobe as girls' name)
Tobe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Tobe's strongest decade.
136 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Tobe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
121 births
- 1890s
1890s
91 births
- 1900s
1900s
58 births
- 1910s
1910s
136 births
- 1920s
1920s
108 births
- 1930s
1930s
55 births
- 1940s
1940s
66 births
- 1950s 42
1950s
42 births
- 1960s
1960s
55 births
- 1970s
1970s
91 births
- 1980s 25
1980s
25 births
- 1990s 15
1990s
15 births
- 2000s 50
2000s
50 births
- 2010s 20
2010s
20 births
- 2020s 16
2020s
16 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 136 births (14% of all-time use).
How Tobe 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 Tobe's total volume
Tobe vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Tobe by state
Where Tobe concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tobe? ▼
949 babies have been named Tobe since 1880. It was last recorded in 2022. The peak year was 1916 with 20 births.
When was Tobe most popular? ▼
Tobe was most popular in the 1910s decade with 136 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Tobe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tobe are Georgia (11 births), Alabama (6 births), Texas (5 births).
How long has the name Tobe been used? ▼
Tobe has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 143 years of data through 2022.
What names are similar to Tobe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Toby, Tobias, Tobin, Tobey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Tobe's data
- Tobe's decade-level peak was the 1910s (136 total births); usage has since declined to 16 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Tobes (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Tobe
Nearby Names Like Tobe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tobe
Toby Boy
#1099 34,846 births
Tobias Boy
#280 29,322 births
Tobin Boy
#2800 5,570 births
Tobey Boy
#8417 1,698 births
Tobie Boy
931 births
Compare Tobe side by side: Tobe vs Toby Tobe vs Tobias Tobe vs Tobin
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, 1880–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tobe: Baby Name Since 1880 - 949 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tobe. 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 Tobe 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.