Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1924

Obie

Gender Unisex · 6% girls Rank 2025 #8,065

Named after the actress Merle Oberon, whose husband Lucien Ballard used this kind of lighting to hide small scars on her face after a car accident.

Rank 2025
#8,065
among boys · ↓2,678 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
10
named Obie
How common
1 in 170,808
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1924
95 babies
All-time total
4,436
#2,021 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Obie popularity over time

4,436 babies have been named Obie 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 74 74 7 – #632
1890s – 118 118 12 +59% #468
1900s 42 162 204 20 +73% #483
1910s 93 556 649 65 +218% #520
1920s 69 680 749 75 +15% #702
1930s 33 559 592 59 -21% #732
1940s 34 522 556 56 -6% #817
1950s – 407 407 41 -27% #980
1960s – 282 282 28 -31% #1,332
1970s – 244 244 24 -13% #1,512
1980s – 142 142 14 -42% #2,648
1990s – 67 67 7 -53% #5,032
2000s – 141 141 14 +110% #3,516
2010s – 118 118 12 -16% #5,054
2020s (to 2025) – 93 93 16 +31% #4,657

The story of Obie

Obie is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #8,065 in 2025 with 10 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,436 American babies have been named Obie, about 94% boys and 6% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1924, when 95 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Obie stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Obie?

The median living Obie is about 59 years old; half are between 36 and 74. An estimated 1,700 people named Obie are alive in the United States today.

median 59 020406080100

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

Obie year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 10 #8,065
2024 – – 18 #5,387
2023 – – 15 #6,143
2022 – – 22 #4,657
2021 – – 16 #5,713
2020 – – 12 #6,921
2019 – – 12 #7,063
2018 – – 19 #5,054
2017 – – 11 #7,412
2016 – – 13 #6,615
2015 – – 15 #5,916
2014 – – 9 #8,611
2013 – – 5 #13,524
2012 – – 12 #6,922
2011 – – 13 #6,487
2010 – – 9 #8,603
2009 – – 6 #12,060
2008 – – 15 #5,983
2007 – – 22 #4,462
2006 – – 23 #4,188
2005 – – 22 #4,150
2004 – – 27 #3,516
2003 – – 6 #10,506
2002 – – 7 #9,124
2001 – – 6 #10,181
2000 – – 7 #8,864
1995 – – – –
1990 – – 10 #5,269
1985 – – 14 #3,337
1980 – – 16 #2,920
1975 – – 12 #3,187
1970 – – 27 #1,688
1965 – – 24 #1,615
1960 – – 28 #1,543
1955 – – 39 #1,209
1950 – – 43 #1,081
1945 8 #3,604 50 #909
1940 9 #3,144 59 #817
1935 5 #4,723 62 #788
1930 7 #3,953 58 #871
1925 9 #3,591 60 #867
1920 – – 79 #735
1915 8 #3,349 69 #711
1910 6 #2,333 23 #613
1905 9 #1,391 21 #503
1900 5 #2,142 15 #670
1895 – – 16 #520
1890 – – 9 #721
1885 – – 7 #817
1880 – – 9 #670

Famous people named Obie

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Obie Trice Obie Trice American rapper (born 1977) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Obie?

The median living Obie is about 59 years old. Half of all living Obies are between 36 and 74 years old.

How many people named Obie are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Obie are alive in the United States, based on 4,436 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Obie mean?

Named after the actress Merle Oberon, whose husband Lucien Ballard used this kind of lighting to hide small scars on her face after a car accident.

How popular is the name Obie in 2025?

Obie ranked #8,065 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 10 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Obie?

4,436 babies have been named Obie in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Obie most popular?

Obie peaked in 1924, when 95 newborns received the name.

Is Obie a boy or girl name?

Obie is used for both: about 6% of babies named Obie have been girls and 94% boys.

Is the name Obie rising or falling?

Obie is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Obie?

Well-known people named Obie include Obie Trice (singer).

Names like Obie

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

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