Obed: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,072

among boys · ↓122 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Obed · -11% vs 2024

How common

1 in 23,723

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2005

137 babies

All-time total

4,135

#2,028 all-time among boys

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Obed popularity over time

4,135 babies have been named Obed since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	6	1	–	#883
1890s	5	1	-17%	#1,192
1900s	11	1	+120%	#1,258
1910s	93	9	+745%	#1,279
1920s	136	14	+46%	#1,932
1930s	77	8	-43%	#2,092
1940s	68	7	-12%	#2,446
1950s	71	7	+4%	#2,381
1960s	115	12	+62%	#1,778
1970s	184	18	+60%	#1,809
1980s	326	33	+77%	#1,754
1990s	599	60	+84%	#1,385
2000s	1,083	108	+81%	#1,168
2010s	889	89	-18%	#1,454
2020s (to 2025)	472	79	-12%	#1,865

Where Obed is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	73	0.04	outside top 500
2027	75	0.04	outside top 500
2028	76	0.04	outside top 500
2029	77	0.04	outside top 500
2030	78	0.05	outside top 500

Where Obed is most popular

Boys named Obed per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.047 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Texas, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Obed born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Mexico	5	0.152	+224%
Texas	83	0.094	+101%
California	52	0.057	+22%
Florida	24	0.051	+8%
Arizona	5	0.031	-35%
New York	13	0.030	-36%
Tennessee	5	0.028	-41%
Virginia	5	0.026	-44%
New Jersey	5	0.025	-47%
Georgia	6	0.024	-49%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Pennsylvania	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Obed

Obed is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,072 in 2025 with 72 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,135 American babies have been named Obed. Its peak came in 2005, when 137 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Obed stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Obed?

The median living Obed is about 20 years old; half are between 11 and 31. An estimated 3,700 people named Obed are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Obed year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	72	#2,072
2024	81	#1,950
2023	84	#1,888
2022	84	#1,885
2021	83	#1,865
2020	68	#2,088
2019	68	#2,123
2018	74	#1,990
2017	62	#2,182
2016	97	#1,651
2015	88	#1,750
2014	94	#1,649
2013	99	#1,576
2012	93	#1,664
2011	100	#1,572
2010	114	#1,454
2009	117	#1,441
2008	110	#1,489
2007	118	#1,397
2006	114	#1,399
2005	137	#1,168
2004	98	#1,439
2003	95	#1,407
2002	96	#1,380
2001	87	#1,438
2000	111	#1,219
1995	58	#1,597
1990	46	#1,747
1985	33	#1,827
1980	29	#1,944
1975	15	#2,720
1970	14	#2,597
1965	5	#4,285
1960	10	#2,811
1955	9	#2,916
1950	8	#2,955
1945	6	#3,220
1940	5	#3,803
1935	11	#2,353
1930	9	#2,943
1925	9	#3,076
1920	15	#2,196
1915	10	#2,568
1910	8	#1,279
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	6	#883

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Obed, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Obed?

The median living Obed is about 20 years old. Half of all living Obeds are between 11 and 31 years old.

How many people named Obed are alive today?

An estimated 3,700 people named Obed are alive in the United States, based on 4,135 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Obed mean?

From Hebrew אובד or עוֹבֵד (Oved, “servant”).

How popular is the name Obed in 2025?

Obed ranked #2,072 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 72 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Obed?

4,135 babies have been named Obed in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Obed most popular?

Obed peaked in 2005, when 137 newborns received the name.

Is Obed a boy or girl name?

Obed is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Obed rising or falling?

Obed has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Obed become more popular?

Obed is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 78 boys named Obed in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Obed

Names that sound and feel close to Obed: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Obed with similar names → More names starting with O →