Robert is a name of Germanic origin, derived from the Germanic words "hrod" meaning fame and "bert" meaning bright or famous. It has been used extensively throughout history and across different cultures.
The name Robert first appeared in France during the Middle Ages, brought over by Viking settlers who had adopted it from their German ancestors. It quickly became popular among the nobility due to its strong association with power and success.
In England, the name Robert was introduced by the Normans after they conquered the country in 1066. It soon became a common name for boys born into wealthy families, as evidenced by several Robberts listed in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Throughout history, many notable figures have carried the name Robert. Some examples include King Robert I of Scotland, also known as Robert the Bruce; Robert Peel, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice during the early 19th century; and Robert Frost, an American poet who won four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.
Today, Robert remains a popular choice for boys' names around the world. According to data from the Social Security Administration in the United States, it was the 287th most popular boy's name in 2019.
The name Robert has been a popular choice for parents in the United States over the past century and a half. From 1880 to 2023, there have been over four million babies named Robert at birth.
The height of popularity for the name Robert came in the early to mid-20th century. In the 1920s, more than 10,000 boys were named Robert each year, reaching a peak of over 26,000 births in 1928. This trend continued through the 1930s and 1940s, with an average of around 15,000 babies named Robert annually during these decades.
However, starting in the late 1950s, the popularity of the name Robert began to decline. By the 1970s, fewer than 3,000 boys were named Robert each year. This downward trend has continued into the 21st century, with only around 4,000 babies named Robert in recent years.
Despite its decreasing popularity in recent decades, Robert remains one of the most common names given to boys in the United States. According to the Social Security Administration data from 2023, Robert is still among the top 1,000 most popular baby boy names in America today.