Robert

maleGermanic

From Germanic Hrodebert, combining 'hruod' (fame) with 'beraht' (bright) — 'bright fame'. Introduced to Britain by the Normans, later borne by Robert the Bruce.

Origin: Germanic

Official popularity data is available for 7 regions, from 1945 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #3 in New South Wales, Australia in 1954. See regions.

Robert: Recorded every year since 1945, it reached #3 in 1952, and it stood at #104 in 2025.

7registrars recorded it
312times a registrar ranked it
81years from first to last
#3highest recorded position
43groupings it qualifies for
71names it appears alongside

What stands out in Robert's record

Ranked inside the top 10 by 2 registrars. Names by top-10 reach
Ranked every year since 1945, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Held a top-100 place for 73 years running. Names by top-100 run
England and Wales registered 2,644 births with the name in 1996, its largest count from any one registrar. Names by yearly birth count

ROB-ert/ˈɹɑb.əɹt/

Compare Robert Run Name Checker on Robert

Data Confidence

Evidence: ModerateCompleteness: SubstantialEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (7) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Germanic
Meaning: From Germanic Hrodebert, combining 'hruod' (fame) with 'beraht' (bright) — 'bright fame'. Introduced to Britain by the Normans, later borne by Robert the Bruce.
Pronunciation: ROB-ert
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: Traditional & modern
Gender usage: male
Language family: Germanic

Popularity

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#30
1997	#34
1998	#37
1999	#39
2000	#41
2001	#47
2002	#50
2003	#60
2004	#60
2005	#73
2006	#75
2007	#84
2008	#89
2009	#91
2010	#90
2011	#93
2012	#96
2013	#98
2014	#96
2015	#105
2016	#109
2017	#111
2018	#117
2019	#115
2020	#125
2021	#144
2022	#148
2023	#147
2024	#151
2025	#164

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Norway in every year from 1945 to 2025.

In 2025: #104 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #164 among boys in England and Wales, #363 among boys in Norway.

Official data from 7 national registrars across 7 regions, 1945–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #126 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #164 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Robert appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Boys, which has ranked it in 81 years beginning in 1945, and has registered 8,640 births with the name.

Robert across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Robert's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Boys	#126 (1945)	#25 (1974)	#363 (2025)	81 of 81	8,640 (1945–2025)	311 (1974)
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#22 (1964)	#12 (1978)	#104 (2025)	62 of 62	20,417 (1964–2025)	670 (1980)
New Zealand · Boys	#5 (1954)	#5 (1954)	#80 (2012)	58 of 59	19,791 (1954–2012)	735 (1961)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#3 (1952)	#3 (1952)	#95 (2003)	52 of 52	38,843 (1952–2003)	1,787 (1952)
England and Wales · Boys	#30 (1996)	#30 (1996)	#164 (2025)	30 of 30	27,772 (1996–2025)	2,644 (1996)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#35 (1997)	#35 (1997)	#93 (2024)	28 of 28	1,243 (1997–2024)	96 (1997)

Robert by decade in Norway · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Robert in Norway · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1940s	233	5 of 10	47
1950s	670	10 of 10	67
1960s	1,630	10 of 10	163
1970sbusiest	2,661	10 of 10	266
1980s	1,897	10 of 10	190
1990s	1,047	10 of 10	105
2000s	290	10 of 10	29
2010s	160	10 of 10	16
2020s	52	6 of 10	9

Across Norway · Boys, the 1970s were its busiest decade, averaging 266 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1963 and 1964, when recorded births rose by 107, from 111 to 218.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Robert appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 7 registrars between 1945 and 2025, ranked in 81 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #3, first reached in 1952.

It held a top-100 place in 74 years, 73 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 2,644 births, registered in England and Wales in 1996.

2 registrars ranked it inside their own top 10.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1952, and 79 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Robert was ranked #3 in New South Wales, Australia · Boys in 1952. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Robby · #1850, 20y
Robel · #293, 34y
Roberta · #234, 58y
Robertas · #287, 36y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 7 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Anna · #3, 81y
Arthur · #3, 81y
Maria · #3, 81y
Monica · #3, 80y

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1940 and 1949.

Anders · #3, 81y
Angela · #3, 74y
Anna · #3, 81y
Arthur · #3, 81y

Comparisons involving Robert

Existing comparison pages where Robert and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Robert in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Robert vs Ashley
In 1996 they stood at #30 and #40 in England and Wales · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #164 and #716.
Robert · Ashley · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 England and Wales ranking
Robert vs Raymond
In 1964 they stood at #22 and #30 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #104 and #509.
Robert · Raymond · 61 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Robert vs Magnus
In 1945 they stood at #126 and #125 in Norway · Boys, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #363 and #17.
Robert · Magnus · 81 shared years, 1945–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Robert within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Peter vs Robert
Across 52 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Peter and Robert averaged 5.4 places apart, ending at #60 and #95.
Peter · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2003 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Mark vs Robert
Across 50 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Mark and Robert averaged 6.1 places apart, ending at #90 and #80.
Mark · Robert · 50 shared years, 1952–2001 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2001 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Robert vs Richard
Across 46 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Robert and Richard averaged 6.6 places apart, ending at #50 and #81.
Robert · Richard · 46 shared years, 1954–1999 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1999 New Zealand ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Robert and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

David vs Robert
In 1956, David moved ahead of Robert in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #6 and #4 the year before became #3 and #6.
David · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1956 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Michael vs Robert
In 1956, Michael moved ahead of Robert in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #5 and #4 the year before became #5 and #6.
Michael · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1956 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Andrew vs Robert
In 1966, Andrew moved ahead of Robert in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #9 and #7 the year before became #7 and #8.
Andrew · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1966 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs involving Robert measured in New South Wales, Australia's own published lists — the registrar that recorded Robert at its highest position.

John vs Robert
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — John #1 in 1952, Robert #3 in 1952.
John · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1952 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Robert vs Benjamin
In 1976, Benjamin moved ahead of Robert in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #13 and #14 the year before became #14 and #7.
Robert · Benjamin · 37 shared years, 1965–2003 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1976 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Daniel vs Robert
In 1974, Daniel moved ahead of Robert in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #14 and #12 the year before became #8 and #13.
Daniel · Robert · 52 shared years, 1952–2003 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1974 New South Wales, Australia ranking

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Robert and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Robert without appearing here.

Robert moved ahead of

Vidar
In 2018 they stood at #403 and #385 in Norway · Boys; by 2019 that had become #254 and #485.
Rolf
In 2020 they stood at #353 and #331 in Norway · Boys; by 2021 that had become #348 and #489.
Odd
In 2022 they stood at #394 and #349 in Norway · Boys; by 2023 that had become #392 and #524.
Arild
In 2022 they stood at #394 and #356 in Norway · Boys; by 2023 that had become #392 and #498.

Moved ahead of Robert

Alan Compare
In 2019 they stood at #254 and #279 in Norway · Boys; by 2020 that had become #353 and #204.
Joakim
In 2022 they stood at #394 and #418 in Norway · Boys; by 2023 that had become #392 and #278.
Ian
In 2019 they stood at #254 and #376 in Norway · Boys; by 2020 that had become #353 and #270.
Matheo
In 2006 they stood at #188 and #231 in Norway · Boys; by 2007 that had become #231 and #152.

Moved the opposite way to Robert

David Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 while David went from #167 to #88.
Emil Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 while Emil went from #271 to #2.
Even Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 while Even went from #180 to #42.
Fredrik Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 while Fredrik went from #137 to #82.

Moved the same way as Robert

Arild
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 and Arild from #32 to #489.
Arne Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 and Arne from #6 to #222.
Bjørn Compare
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 and Bjørn from #3 to #56.
Dag
Between 1945 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Robert went from #126 to #363 and Dag from #48 to #426.

Meaning & Origin

From Germanic Hrodebert, combining 'hruod' (fame) with 'beraht' (bright) — 'bright fame'. Introduced to Britain by the Normans, later borne by Robert the Bruce.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Germanic

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Robert is officially recorded

7 official registrars have recorded Robert, between 1945 and 2025. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Norway	1945–2025	81	#25 in 1974
New South Wales, Australia	1952–2003	52	#3 in 1952
New Zealand	1954–2012	58	#5 in 1954
Republic of Ireland	1964–2025	62	#12 in 1978
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#30 in 1996
Northern Ireland	1997–2024	28	#35 in 1997
Scotland	2024	1	#80 in 2024

Its high point came 72 years earlier in New South Wales, Australia (1952) than in Scotland (2024).

Variants

No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

ROB-ert/ˈɹɑb.əɹt/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Robert Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Robert in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNorwayNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Preview with a surname

Entirely local — nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.

Full sibling-set and initials-across-a-shortlist matching is a planned premium feature — see Premium.

Robert

Robert at a glance

What stands out in Robert's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Robert across 6 official records

Robert by decade in Norway · Boys

Robert appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Robert

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Comparisons involving Robert

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Robert and the names beside it

Robert moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Robert

Moved the opposite way to Robert

Moved the same way as Robert

Meaning & Origin

Where Robert is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Robert Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Robert at a glance

What stands out in Robert's record

Robert across 6 official records

Robert by decade in Norway · Boys

Robert appears in

What the record shows

Names published alongside Robert

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Comparisons involving Robert

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Compared inside New South Wales, Australia lists

Robert and the names beside it

Robert moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Robert

Moved the opposite way to Robert

Moved the same way as Robert