Unisex · #7,725 in 2026

Joby

Joby is a given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Joseph. Notable people with the name include:Joby Varghese Co-Founder of Sahyavalley Enterprise Joby Baker, Canadian born actor and painter Joby Godfrey (1894–1977), English professional footballer Joby Harold, English film director and screenwriter currently living in Los Angeles Joby Harris, California-based visual artist; guitar…

Current Rank
#7,725
Peak Rank
#1,515 (1977)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+20%
👧 Girl peak #5,192 (68 total)
👦 Boy peak #1,515 (1K total)
👦As Boy Name
1939
First Year
2024
Last Year
1977
Peak Year
#1515
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
74
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1956
First Year
1976
Last Year
1973
Peak Year
#5192
Peak Rank
68
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Joby

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Joby is a given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Joseph. Notable people with the name include:Joby Varghese Co-Founder of Sahyavalley Enterprise Joby Baker, Canadian born actor and painter Joby Godfrey (1894–1977), English professional footballer Joby Harold, English film director and screenwriter currently living in Los Angeles Joby Harris, California-based visual artist; guitar…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Joby

As a girl name

Joby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1973, when 10 Jobys were born — ranking #5,192 that year. As of 2026, Joby ranks #6,048 for girls with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 68 Jobys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Joby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1939, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1977, when 37 Jobys were born — ranking #1,515 that year. As of 2026, Joby ranks #7,725 for boys with 10 births, rising sharply (+20% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Jobys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Joby

Phonetically similar names — useful when Joby is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joby

What does the name Joby mean?
Joby is a given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Joseph. Notable people with the name include:Joby Varghese Co-Founder of Sahyavalley Enterprise Joby Baker, Canadian born actor and painter Joby Godfrey (1894–1977), English professional footballer Joby Harold, English film director and screenwriter currently living in Los Angeles Joby Harris, California-based visual artist; guitar…
How popular is Joby in 2026?
In 2026, Joby ranks #7,725 among boys' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.
When was Joby most popular?
Joby reached its peak popularity in 1977, ranking #1,515 that year with 37 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Joby most popular?
Joby has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Joby.
Is Joby a unisex name?
Yes — Joby is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 5% of Jobys assigned female and 95% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Joby?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Joby include Charle, Mae, Thayne. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Joby

Joby is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1939 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Joby's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #1,515. Use the chart and map above to compare Joby's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.