as a First Name
One of the many French names of Germanic origin that were introduced into Britain by the Normans; it has since remained in continuous use. It is derived from the nearly synonymous elements hrōd ‘fame’ + berht ‘bright, famous’, and had a native Old English predecessor of similar form (Hreodbeorht), which was supplanted by the Norman name. Two dukes of Normandy in the 11th century bore the name: the father of William the Conqueror (sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil), and his eldest son. It was borne also by three kings of Scotland, notably Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), who freed Scotland from English domination. The altered short form Bob is very common, but Hob and Dob, which were common in the Middle Ages and gave rise to surnames, are extinct. See also Rupert.
| 4th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Millions
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 3,907,966
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 4,691,399
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- New Hampshire
- has the most people named Robert per capita
- 1937
- marked the height of its popularity
0.29%
99.71%
48%
55+
55+
36%
30-54
30-54
10%
13-29
13-29
6%
0-12
0-12
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Recent members
- Robert Portlance (Coon Rapids, MN)
- Robert Stewart (Union City, CA)
- Bob Baker (, )
- Bobby Little (, )
- Rob Pinner (, )
Robert in the US
Common Last Names For Robert
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
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