Total births
29,322
Boys' name · since 1880
Tobias
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 29,322 babies named Tobias, peaking in 2016. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #280
- among boys today
- 29,322
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Tobias is the #280 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 29,322 recorded since 1880.
Tobias has 29,322 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #280 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #280 among boys today
- 29,322 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tobias is currently the #280 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 29,322 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #280
- among boys today
- 29,322
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Tobias vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#280
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Tobias was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
1,523 babies were named Tobias in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Tobias compares
29,322 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Tobias's all-time total is 80x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tobias | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,322 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,523 | 23 | 22,252 |
Tobias's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Tobias splits its recorded history at 1960: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1892 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2016 peak of 1,523 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Tobias at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2016
Current rank
#280
Active since
1880
Tobias popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 1,523
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Tobias by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Tobias's strongest decade.
9,410 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Tobias births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 38
1880s
38 births
- 1890s 23
1890s
23 births
- 1900s 37
1900s
37 births
- 1910s 144
1910s
144 births
- 1920s 155
1920s
155 births
- 1930s 107
1930s
107 births
- 1940s 160
1940s
160 births
- 1950s 243
1950s
243 births
- 1960s 576
1960s
576 births
- 1970s 2,102
1970s
2,102 births
- 1980s 1,807
1980s
1,807 births
- 1990s 2,266
1990s
2,266 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,811 births
- 2010s
2010s
9,410 births
- 2020s
2020s
7,443 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 9,410 births (32% of all-time use).
How Tobias 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 Tobias's total volume
Tobias vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Tobias by state
Where Tobias concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,908 | 9.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,980 | 6.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,379 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,374 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,176 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,112 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,097 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 1,002 | 3.4% |
California share of Tobias's total US births 9.9%
Even split
2,908 of 29,322 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Tobias appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tobias? ▼
29,322 babies have been named Tobias since 1880. It currently ranks #280 among boys. The peak year was 2016 with 1,523 births.
When was Tobias most popular? ▼
Tobias was most popular in the 2010s decade with 9,410 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Tobias most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tobias are California (2,908 births), Texas (1,980 births), New York (1,379 births).
How long has the name Tobias been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tobias since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Tobias? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Toby, Tobin, Tobey, Tobe, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Tobias's data
- Tobias's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (9,410 total births) through the 2020s (7,443) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Tobiass (2,908 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Tobias
Nearby Names Like Tobias
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tobias
Toby Boy
#1099 34,846 births
Tobin Boy
#2800 5,570 births
Tobey Boy
#8417 1,698 births
Tobe Boy
949 births
Tobie Boy
931 births
Compare Tobias side by side: Tobias vs Toby Tobias vs Tobin Tobias vs Tobey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tobias
Kaleb #279
86,649 births · Peak 2007
Holden #281
32,507 births · Peak 2018
Israel #278
71,237 births · Peak 2007
Saint #282
7,288 births · Peak 2025
Colt #277
27,869 births · Peak 2019
Romeo #283
26,864 births · Peak 2024
Atticus #276
18,322 births · Peak 2021
Kenneth #284
1,283,974 births · Peak 1957
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. "Tobias: #280 Boys' Name - 29,322 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tobias. 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 Tobias 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.