Toby
Toby is a given name in many English-speaking countries. The name is derived the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה Toviah, which translates to Good is Yahweh. Yahweh is the name of the Jewish God.
Meaning & Origin of Toby
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Toby is a given name in many English-speaking countries. The name is derived the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה Toviah, which translates to Good is Yahweh. Yahweh is the name of the Jewish God.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Toby
As a girl name
Toby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1902, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1941, when 170 Tobys were born — ranking #542 that year. As of 2026, Toby ranks #2,004 for girls with 98 births, rising sharply (+17% over the past five years). In total, more than 8K Tobys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Toby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 1,191 Tobys were born — ranking #190 that year. As of 2026, Toby ranks #1,148 for boys with 185 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 35K Tobys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Toby
Phonetically similar names — useful when Toby 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 Toby
What does the name Toby mean?
How popular is Toby in 2026?
When was Toby most popular?
In which U.S. states is Toby most popular?
Is Toby a unisex name?
What names go well with Toby?
About the name Toby
Toby is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 35K births in the dataset. Toby's peak popularity came in 1975 when it ranked #190. Use the chart and map above to compare Toby's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1975 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- 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.