Roberts
From the Germanic name Rodbert meaning "bright fame".
Name Census estimates that about 173 living Americans carry the first name Roberts. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Roberts today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roberts births was 1922 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roberts. 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.
People living today
173
~ 1 in 1,981,239 Americans
Peak year
1922
14 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1999 SSA rank
#9,647
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Roberts: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roberts from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 98 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roberts 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 Roberts during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Roberts' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Roberts
The name Roberts is an English name derived from the Germanic elements "rod" meaning "bright" and "berht" meaning "famous." It emerged as a given name in the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roberts can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical record, several individuals with the name Roberts are mentioned, indicating the name's usage during the Norman period.
The name Roberts has a strong association with religious figures throughout history. One notable example is Saint Robert of Molesme, a French Benedictine monk who lived from around 1028 to 1111 and played a pivotal role in the founding of the Cistercian order.
Another famous bearer of the name was Robert Grosseteste, an English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian, and Bishop of Lincoln, who lived from around 1175 to 1253. He is renowned for his influential works on natural philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual life of medieval England.
In the realm of literature, Robert Browning, an English poet and playwright born in 1812 and died in 1889, is celebrated for his dramatic monologues and innovative poetic style. His works, such as "My Last Duchess" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," have left an indelible mark on English literature.
The name Roberts has also been associated with royalty and leadership. Robert the Bruce, born in 1274 and died in 1329, was the King of Scots who famously led the Scots to victory over the English in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another notable figure is Robert Clive, an officer in the British East India Company, born in 1725 and died in 1774. He played a significant role in establishing British control over much of the Indian subcontinent and is often referred to as the "conqueror of India."
These examples showcase the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the name Roberts throughout the centuries, highlighting its enduring popularity and significance across various cultures and eras.
People
Roberts + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roberts as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Roberts: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roberts?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 173 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roberts 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 1,981,239 US residents.
Is Roberts a common name?
We classify Roberts as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 422 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roberts most popular?
The single biggest year for Roberts was 1922, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roberts is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Roberts a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roberts 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.
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.