2000
#24,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Bobby
A nickname surname derived from the masculine given name Robert.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,230 Americans carry the last name Bobby. That puts it at #24,318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 278,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bobby surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bobby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 278,662
Census rank
#24,318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,073 bearers of the surname Bobby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobby, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bobby
The surname Bobby is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Devon, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "boc" and "byrig," meaning "book" and "town" or "fort," respectively. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a fortified town or settlement where books were kept or produced.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bobby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Robertus de Bokebyrig, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern surname Bobby.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John de Bobby was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of England, which were official records of royal grants and letters patent. John de Bobby was a landowner and gentleman from Devon, indicating that the surname had established roots in the region by that time.
During the 14th century, the surname Bobby appeared in various records in the county of Devon, including the Subsidy Rolls and the Lay Subsidy Rolls. These were tax records that listed individuals and their properties, providing valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the surname in that area.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Bobby was Sir John Bobby, who was born in Devon in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure and served as a member of the English Parliament for the constituency of Devon in the early 15th century.
Another notable individual with the surname Bobby was William Bobby, born in Devon in the late 15th century. He was a wealthy landowner and merchant who played a significant role in the local community and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county.
In the 16th century, the surname Bobby appeared in various records across different counties in England, suggesting that the family had spread beyond its original base in Devon. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Thomas Bobby, who was born in Gloucestershire in the mid-16th century and became a respected scholar and clergyman.
As the centuries progressed, the Bobby surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with several prominent individuals bearing the name. These included Sir Edward Bobby, a successful merchant and philanthropist born in London in the late 17th century, and John Bobby, a renowned painter and artist born in Lancashire in the early 19th century.
While the surname Bobby has its origins in England, particularly in the county of Devon, it has since been carried by individuals in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration and dispersal of families over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bobby
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobby, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bobby bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bobby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 785
- Black or African American9.3% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.0% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.8% · 41
- Two or more races2.7% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bobby
Bobby appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#24,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,042
+81 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 269 places
2020
#24,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,073
+31 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,406 | 961 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,137 | 1,042 | 0.35 | +81 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 269 places |
| 2020 | #24,318 | 1,073 | 0.36 | +31 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 181 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bobby surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,137 | #24,318 | -0.7% |
| Count | 1,042 | 1,073 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.36 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bobby bearers went from 1,042 to 1,073 (+3.0% change). The surname moved down 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,137 to #24,318.
FAQ
Bobby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bobby?
Name Census estimates that about 1,230 living Americans carry the surname Bobby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 278,662 residents.
How common is Bobby?
Bobby ranks #24,318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,073 people with the surname Bobby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bobby.
Has Bobby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bobby went from 1,042 recorded bearers to 1,073. That is an increase of 31 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,137 to #24,318.
What does the Census say about the background of Bobby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bobby, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bobby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bobby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (9.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bobby (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bobby mean?
A nickname surname derived from the masculine given name Robert. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bobby (0.36 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Bobby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.