Roberto, of Italian and Spanish origin, is derived from the Germanic elements 'hrod' meaning fame and 'bert' meaning bright, shining. It was borne by several early saints, including Saint Robert of Molesme, who founded the Cistercian order of monks in the 11th century. The name Roberto became popular in Spain during the Middle Ages via the Moors, who adapted it as Rubin or Rubín. Today, it is used widely across Europe and South America.
The name Roberto experienced varying popularity throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century, with a total of 834 babies given this name over the span of the provided statistics (1917-2007). The name's peak popularity occurred in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, with high numbers of births each year between 1965 and 1977, reaching a maximum of 22 births in 1977.