Robbie is a name of Irish origin and it means "bright fame" or "famous". It is derived from the Old Norse personal name Hróðgeirr, which was composed of the elements hróðr meaning "fame" and geirr meaning "spear". The name Robbie has been used historically as both a given name and a nickname for the name Robert. It was popular among the Irish Celts during the Middle Ages but it fell out of favor in later centuries. However, it experienced a resurgence in popularity during the 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries such as Ireland, England, Scotland, and Australia. Today, Robbie is considered to be a unisex name, though it is more commonly used for boys than girls. Some notable people with the name Robbie include Australian cricketer Robbie Marsh and Scottish footballer Robbie Neilson.
The name Robbie has had a fluctuating popularity over the past century and a half, with a significant increase in usage since the mid-20th century. The name first started appearing with notable frequency around the early 1900s, with peaks in popularity occurring in the late 1940s to early 1950s (reaching its first peak of over 100 births per year in 1956), and again in the mid-1960s to early 1970s. The name has remained popular since then, with annual births typically ranging between 40 to 80 throughout most years. However, there is a noticeable decline in popularity starting from around the late 1990s, with fewer than 100 Robbie births recorded annually since 2007. Despite this, the name still maintains some level of popularity today.