The name Tobias is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Tobiah, meaning "God is good" or "the goodness of God." It first appeared in the Book of Tobit, an apocryphal Jewish work written around the 3rd century BC.

The earliest recorded use of the name Tobias dates back to the 2nd century BC, found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Jewish texts discovered in the Qumran Caves near the Dead Sea. It was a relatively popular name among Jews during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Tobias was Tobias ben Eliezer, a Jewish scholar who lived in the 2nd century AD and is mentioned in the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism.

In the Christian tradition, Tobias is also the name of one of the seven archangels, known as the angel who guided Tobit's son in the Book of Tobit. This association with an archangel contributed to the name's popularity among early Christians.

During the Middle Ages, the name Tobias was relatively common in Europe, particularly in Germany and England. One notable bearer was Tobias Crisp (1600-1643), an English Protestant theologian and preacher known for his controversial teachings on antinomianism.

Another famous Tobias was Tobias Smollett (1721-1771), a Scottish poet and author best known for his picaresque novels, such as "The Adventures of Roderick Random" and "The Expedition of Humphry Clinker."

In the world of music, Tobias Hume (1569-1645) was an English composer and soldier, renowned for his works for viols and his innovative musical style. Tobias Picker (born 1954) is a contemporary American composer known for his operas and orchestral works.

The name Tobias has also been borne by several notable scientists and scholars, including Tobias Mayer (1723-1762), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of lunar motion, and Tobias Dantzig (1884-1956), a Polish-American mathematician and statistician.