Total births
34,846
Unisex name · since 1882
Toby
34,846 babies named Toby in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1975. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1099
- among boys today
- 34,846
- born since 1882
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
34,846 babies have been named Toby since 1882, making it today's #1099 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Toby recorded 34,846 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #1099 nationally today, ahead of 92% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #1099 among boys today
- 34,846 born since 1882
- 1970s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Toby is currently the #1099 unisex name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 34,846 born since 1882, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1099
- among boys today
- 34,846
- born since 1882
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Toby vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1099
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Toby was born in this single decade.
1975
Single peak year
1,191 babies were named Toby in 1975 - its busiest year on record.
How Toby compares
34,846 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Toby's all-time total is 95x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Toby | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,846 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,191 | 23 | 22,252 |
Toby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Toby's SSA record in two at 1964 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1975 peak of 1,191, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Toby at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1975
Current rank
#1,099
Active since
1882
Toby popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1975)
- 1,191
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Toby popularity over time - girls
8,387 total births recorded since 1902 (Toby as girls' name)
Toby by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Toby's strongest decade.
9,884 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Toby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 10
1880s
10 births
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 32
1900s
32 births
- 1910s 163
1910s
163 births
- 1920s 253
1920s
253 births
- 1930s 501
1930s
501 births
- 1940s 1,240
1940s
1,240 births
- 1950s 2,124
1950s
2,124 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,359 births
- 1970s
1970s
9,884 births
- 1980s 3,759
1980s
3,759 births
- 1990s 3,127
1990s
3,127 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,855 births
- 2010s 3,403
2010s
3,403 births
- 2020s 1,130
2020s
1,130 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 9,884 births (28% of all-time use).
How Toby 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 Toby's total volume
Toby vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Toby by state
Where Toby concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,438 | 9.9% |
| #2 | California | | 2,817 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,596 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,300 | 3.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,195 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 1,158 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,139 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,125 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Toby's total US births 9.9%
Even split
3,438 of 34,846 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Toby appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Toby? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 34,846 babies named Toby. Today it holds rank #1099 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1975, with 1,191 births.
When was Toby most popular? ▼
Toby was most popular in the 1970s decade with 9,884 total births. The single peak year was 1975.
Where is Toby most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Toby are Texas (3,438 births), California (2,817 births), Ohio (1,596 births).
Is Toby a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Toby is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 34,846 births, and as a girl's name it has 8,387 births.
How long has the name Toby been used? ▼
Toby has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 144 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Toby? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tobias, Tobin, Tobey, Tobe, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Toby's data
- Toby's decade-level peak was the 1970s (9,884 total births); usage has since declined to 1,130 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Tobys (3,438 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Toby
Nearby Names Like Toby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Toby
Tobias Boy
#280 29,322 births
Tobin Boy
#2800 5,570 births
Tobey Boy
#8417 1,698 births
Tobe Boy
949 births
Tobie Boy
931 births
Compare Toby side by side: Toby vs Tobias Toby vs Tobin Toby vs Tobey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Toby
Kody #1098
23,762 births · Peak 1993
Carmine #1100
13,950 births · Peak 2006
Danilo #1097
4,674 births · Peak 2022
Branson #1101
8,226 births · Peak 2014
Cory #1096
127,179 births · Peak 1989
Kaleo #1102
2,252 births · Peak 2025
Avyan #1095
1,378 births · Peak 2024
Duncan #1103
21,219 births · Peak 1997
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Toby: #1099 Unisex Name - 34,846 Births, Peak 1975." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/toby. 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 Toby 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.