Norb
A shortened form of the masculine Norman name Norbert meaning "north bright town".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Norb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Norb today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Norb births was 1960 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Norb. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Norb is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Norbs were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Norb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1960
5 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1960 SSA rank
#4,436
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Norb: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Norb by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Norb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Norb
The name Norb is derived from the Germanic root word "norð," which means "north." This name originated in the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries, among the Germanic tribes that inhabited the regions of modern-day Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands.
Norb was a common name among the Franks, a Germanic tribe that settled in modern-day France and parts of Western Germany. It was often used as a shortened form of longer names such as Norbert or Nordbert, which combined the elements "norð" and "berht" (meaning "bright" or "illustrious").
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norb can be found in the Annales Regni Francorum, a medieval chronicle detailing the history of the Frankish Empire under the Carolingian dynasty. This text, written in the late 8th century, mentions a Frankish nobleman named Norb who served as a count under the reign of Charlemagne.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Norb remained popular among the Germanic peoples, particularly in the regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. Several notable historical figures bore this name, including Norb von Xanten, a German knight who fought in the Crusades during the 12th century, and Norb van Hoorn, a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled to the East Indies in the early 17th century.
In the 11th century, Saint Norbert of Xanten, a Catholic bishop and founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, was born with the name Norbert (c. 1080 - 1134). His name, a variation of Norb, contributed to the popularity of the name among Christians in Western Europe.
Another prominent figure with the name Norb was Norb Ender, a German artist and sculptor who lived during the Renaissance period (c. 1470 - 1528). His works, particularly his intricate wood carvings, are still celebrated and displayed in museums across Europe.
While the name Norb has faded in popularity in modern times, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Germanic peoples, serving as a reminder of the historical significance and widespread use of this name throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods.
People
Norb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Norb as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Norb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Norb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Norb going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Norb a common name?
We classify Norb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Norb most popular?
The single biggest year for Norb was 1960, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Norb is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Norb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Norb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Norb in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Norb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Norb in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Norb can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Norb?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Norb, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.