Tobi
A masculine Japanese name derived from the word "tobu" meaning "to fly."
Name Census estimates that about 3,119 living Americans carry the first name Tobi. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 83.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Tobi today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tobi births was 1975 (161 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tobi. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Tobi with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
3.1K
~ 1 in 109,892 Americans
Peak year
1975
161 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,168
Tracked since 1934
Census
Tobi in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 3,410 people with the first name Tobi, which placed it at #5,133 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#5,133
National first-name rank
People counted
3.4K
3,410 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
1.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
71.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tobi
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tobi is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Tobi described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Tobi at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 2,449
- Black or African American16.1% · 548
- Two or more races4.6% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
Gender
Gender distribution for Tobi
Tobi leans heavily female at 83.0% of total registrations, but 600 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tobi as a male name
- Ranked #4,168 in 2024
- 26 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (36 births)
Tobi as a female name
- Ranked #6,879 in 2024
- 17 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1975 (150 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Tobi on both sides of the split. Of the 3,414 people counted with this name, 737 were male (21.6%) and 2,677 were female (78.4%).
Popularity
Tobi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tobi from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,043 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tobi 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 Tobi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tobis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Tobi, while Oregon, Missouri, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tobi
The name Tobi has its origins in the Yoruba language, spoken by the Yoruba people of West Africa, primarily in Nigeria. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century CE, during the height of the Oyo Empire, a prominent Yoruba civilization.
Tobi is derived from the Yoruba verb "tó" meaning "to be sufficient" or "to be enough." It is a name often given to children with the intention of expressing gratitude and satisfaction with their arrival, symbolizing the fulfillment of parental desires and hopes.
In Yoruba culture, names hold significant importance and are carefully chosen to reflect the circumstances surrounding a child's birth, family traditions, or aspirations for the child's future. The name Tobi carries with it a sense of contentment and appreciation for the precious gift of a new life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tobi dates back to the 16th century, when a prominent Yoruba ruler, Tobi Akinloye, led the Oyo Empire during a period of expansion and prosperity. His reign is documented in historical accounts and oral traditions passed down through generations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tobi. One such figure is Tobi Olawumi (1876-1962), a renowned Yoruba businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the economic development of Lagos, Nigeria, in the early 20th century.
Another prominent bearer of the name is Tobi Amusan (born 1997), a Nigerian track and field athlete who won the gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, setting a new world record in the process.
Tobi Bakre (born 1994) is a Nigerian actor, model, and TV personality who gained fame for his participation in the reality show "Big Brother Naija" in 2018. His charismatic personality and talent have garnered him a substantial following in the entertainment industry.
In the field of literature, Tobi Olugbenga (born 1977) is a Nigerian writer and poet whose works explore themes of identity, diaspora, and social justice. His critically acclaimed poetry collection, "To Breathe into this Light," has been widely praised for its evocative language and powerful narratives.
Tobi Oshin (born 1987) is a British-Nigerian fashion designer and entrepreneur known for her eponymous label, which celebrates African prints and craftsmanship. Her designs have graced numerous global fashion events and have been worn by influential figures, showcasing the richness of African culture.
People
Tobi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tobi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tobi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tobi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,119 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tobi 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 109,892 US residents.
Is Tobi a common name?
We classify Tobi as "Rare". It ranks above 95.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,523 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tobi most popular?
The single biggest year for Tobi was 1975, when 161 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tobi is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tobi in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 3,410 people with the name Tobi, or 1.13 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #5,133 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Tobi in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tobi?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Tobi on both sides of the split. Of the 3,414 people counted with this name, 737 were male (21.6%) and 2,677 were female (78.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tobi?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tobi is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Tobi most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Tobi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (2,449 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Tobi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tobi a female name?
Yes, 83.0% of people registered as Tobi in the SSA data are female. 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 Tobi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tobi 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 Tobi 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.
How many people have Tobi as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.