Joby
Joby is a given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Joseph. Notable people with the name include: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 player and singer for band Crash Rickshaw Joby Harte,…
- English
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 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 player and singer for band Crash Rickshaw Joby Harte,…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Joby
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Joby as a girl name dates back to 1956, when 5 babies received it. 1973 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Joby — #5,192 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 51% of all recorded Jobys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1976 (9 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. 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
The earliest SSA record of Joby as a boy name dates back to 1939, when 5 babies received it. 1977 was its biggest year on record, with 37 newborns named Joby — #1,515 in the national rankings. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Jobys. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (10 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. 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
Popularity by State
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?
What is the origin of the name Joby?
How popular is Joby in 2026?
When was Joby most popular?
In which U.S. states is Joby most popular?
Is Joby a unisex name?
What names go well with Joby?
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
- Top names of 1977 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.