Tobyn
A masculine name of Native American origin meaning "born preserver".
Name Census estimates that about 321 living Americans carry the first name Tobyn. It is a predominantly male name (92.9% of registrations). The average person named Tobyn today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tobyn births was 2013 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tobyn. 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
321
~ 1 in 1,067,771 Americans
Peak year
2013
28 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,746
Tracked since 1976
Gender
Gender distribution for Tobyn
Tobyn leans heavily male at 92.9% of total registrations, but 23 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tobyn as a male name
- Ranked #9,746 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2013 (21 births)
Tobyn as a female name
- Ranked #11,762 in 2015
- 9 female births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (9 births)
Popularity
Tobyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tobyn from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 142 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tobyn 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 Tobyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tobyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tobyn
The name Tobyn is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, with roots dating back to ancient times. The earliest known form of the name was Tobiah, which is derived from the Hebrew words "tov" meaning "good" and "Yahweh," referring to the Judeo-Christian God. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals in the hope that they would lead a virtuous life and follow the path of righteousness.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Tobiah can be found in the Book of Ezra, a book of the Hebrew Bible, which tells the story of a man named Tobiah who was a prominent figure among the exiles returning to Jerusalem from Babylon in the 5th century BCE. This historical reference indicates that the name had already gained popularity among the Jewish community at that time.
Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Toby, Tobias, and Tobyn. The latter form, Tobyn, is believed to have emerged as a more modern spelling, possibly influenced by the English language and its pronunciation patterns.
Among the notable figures who bore the name Tobyn or its variants, one can mention Tobyn Cornelius (1632-1694), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. Another individual of historical significance was Tobyn Smollett (1721-1771), a Scottish novelist and satirist best known for his picaresque novels, including "The Adventures of Roderick Random" and "The Expedition of Humphry Clinker."
In the realm of religion, Tobyn Matthias (1499-1565) was a German theologian and Lutheran reformer who played a crucial role in the spread of Protestantism in the 16th century. Tobyn Crisp (1876-1952), an English writer and artist, was renowned for his flamboyant style and unconventional lifestyle, challenging societal norms of his time.
Additionally, Tobyn Jones (1940-2012) was a Welsh actor and writer who gained recognition for his roles in various television series and films, including "Chariots of Fire" and "The Remains of the Day."
While these are just a few examples, the name Tobyn has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and periods throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
People
Tobyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tobyn 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
Tobyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tobyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 321 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tobyn 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 1,067,771 US residents.
Is Tobyn a common name?
We classify Tobyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 325 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tobyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Tobyn was 2013, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tobyn is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tobyn a male name?
Yes, 92.9% of people registered as Tobyn 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.