Find out how popular the last name Bob is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bob.

Bob, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bob surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bob in America

Bob is the 19223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bob surname appeared 1,412 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bob.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bob to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bob

The surname BOB is of English origin, specifically from the northern counties of England such as Yorkshire and Lancashire. It first emerged in the late 12th century as a nickname for someone with a bobbed or cropped haircut. The name is derived from the Middle English word "bob", meaning short or cropped.

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname BOB is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1196, where a Robert le Bobbe is listed. This early spelling variation highlights the nickname origins of the name. Other early spellings include Bobbe, Bobb, and Bobe.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records across northern England. For instance, a William Bobbe is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also reference a Henry Bobbe.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname BOB was John Bobe, a 14th-century cleric who served as the Abbot of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk between 1335 and 1346. Another early bearer was Sir Robert Bob, a knight from Northumberland who fought in the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346 during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In the 16th century, the surname BOB began to appear in various place names, such as Bobbing in Kent and Bobbers Mill in Sussex. These places likely derived their names from individuals with the surname BOB who lived or owned land there.

Later notable figures with the surname BOB include Sir John Bob (1558-1636), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gatton in Surrey, and Christopher Bob (1572-1628), a clergyman who served as the Dean of Windsor from 1616 until his death.

Over time, the surname BOB has also seen various spelling variations, including Bobb, Bobbe, Bobe, and Bobbs. Despite its humble beginnings as a nickname for a cropped hairstyle, the name BOB has a rich history spanning several centuries in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bob

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bob.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bob was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bob has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bob was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bob, please contact us.

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