Unisex name ★ peaked 1975

Toby

Meaning Toby is a given name in many English-speaking countries Gender Unisex · 19% girls Rank 2025 #979 Trend → Stable

Toby is a given name in many English-speaking countries.

Rank 2025
#979
among boys · ↑123 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
335
named Toby · +14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 7,299
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1975
1,349 babies
All-time total
43,233
#620 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Toby popularity over time

43,233 babies have been named Toby since 1882, 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 10 10 1 – #1,083
1890s – 6 6 1 -40% #1,073
1900s 37 32 69 7 +1050% #991
1910s 294 163 457 46 +562% #1,302
1920s 409 253 662 66 +45% #1,290
1930s 947 501 1,448 145 +119% #706
1940s 1,360 1,240 2,600 260 +80% #494
1950s 957 2,124 3,081 308 +19% #454
1960s 724 4,359 5,083 508 +65% #272
1970s 966 9,884 10,850 1,085 +113% #190
1980s 447 3,759 4,206 421 -61% #304
1990s 366 3,127 3,493 349 -17% #548
2000s 582 4,855 5,437 544 +56% #429
2010s 737 3,403 4,140 414 -24% #548
2020s (to 2025) 561 1,130 1,691 282 -32% #979

Where Toby 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 231 0.14 outside top 500
2027 228 0.13 outside top 500
2028 226 0.13 outside top 500
2029 224 0.13 outside top 500
2030 222 0.13 outside top 500

Where Toby is most popular

Boys named Toby per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.111 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.

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 Toby 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
Minnesota 37 0.302 +172%
Wisconsin 30 0.253 +128%
Kentucky 23 0.229 +107%
Indiana 34 0.212 +91%
Michigan 34 0.166 +50%
Washington 27 0.165 +49%
Ohio 43 0.162 +46%
Pennsylvania 43 0.162 +46%
Georgia 38 0.150 +35%
Louisiana 14 0.137 +23%
New York 56 0.129 +17%
Utah 11 0.115 ≈ national
Missouri 15 0.108 ≈ national
Tennessee 18 0.100 -10%
Florida 44 0.093 -16%
Massachusetts 12 0.087 -21%
California 71 0.078 -30%
Illinois 19 0.074 -33%
Texas 65 0.074 -33%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -49%
North Carolina 13 0.051 -54%
Arizona 7 0.043 -61%
New Jersey 8 0.040 -64%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Toby

Toby is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #979 in 2025 with 234 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 43,233 American babies have been named Toby, about 81% boys and 19% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1975, when 1,349 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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

How old are people named Toby?

The median living Toby is about 46 years old; half are between 22 and 55. An estimated 37 thousand people named Toby are alive in the United States today.

median 46 020406080100

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

Toby 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 101 #1,923 234 #979
2024 99 #1,995 196 #1,102
2023 98 #2,017 158 #1,241
2022 82 #2,292 177 #1,165
2021 89 #2,128 193 #1,091
2020 92 #2,032 172 #1,139
2019 76 #2,373 226 #951
2018 67 #2,609 271 #826
2017 80 #2,318 284 #806
2016 79 #2,383 316 #768
2015 80 #2,338 371 #682
2014 75 #2,441 446 #605
2013 71 #2,530 486 #548
2012 98 #2,000 353 #670
2011 61 #2,865 291 #776
2010 50 #3,303 359 #668
2009 56 #3,087 396 #633
2008 53 #3,219 442 #582
2007 51 #3,328 462 #559
2006 62 #2,848 508 #510
2005 67 #2,577 529 #474
2004 65 #2,587 612 #429
2003 64 #2,553 582 #433
2002 42 #3,331 502 #474
2001 71 #2,286 413 #532
2000 51 #2,853 409 #535
1995 45 #2,729 316 #577
1990 28 #3,809 309 #577
1985 57 #1,947 322 #484
1980 53 #2,012 648 #304
1975 158 #848 1,191 #190
1970 100 #1,166 982 #242
1965 74 #1,255 473 #350
1960 82 #1,211 374 #409
1955 100 #1,003 190 #534
1950 110 #841 148 #557
1945 133 #633 123 #539
1940 147 #578 77 #693
1935 94 #691 57 #833
1930 42 #1,159 30 #1,327
1925 39 #1,269 27 #1,447
1920 37 #1,278 22 #1,689
1915 40 #1,073 27 #1,302
1910 16 #1,163 6 #1,571
1905 – – 8 #991
1900 – – 5 #1,489
1895 – – 6 #1,073
1890 – – – –
1885 – – 5 #1,089
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Toby

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

  1. 1 Toby Keith Toby Keith American singer (1961–2024) Contemporary
  2. 2 Toby Jones Toby Jones English actor (born 1966) Contemporary
  3. 3 Toby Stephens Toby Stephens English actor (born 1969) Contemporary
  4. 4 Toby Huss Toby Huss American actor (born 1966) Contemporary
  5. 5 Toby Fox Toby Fox American video game developer and composer (born 1991) Contemporary
  6. 6 Toby Kebbell Toby Kebbell British actor (born 1982) Contemporary
  7. 7 Toby Regbo Toby Regbo English actor b. 1991 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Toby?

The median living Toby is about 46 years old. Half of all living Tobys are between 22 and 55 years old.

How many people named Toby are alive today?

An estimated 37 thousand people named Toby are alive in the United States, based on 43,233 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Toby mean?

Toby is a given name in many English-speaking countries.

How popular is the name Toby in 2025?

Toby ranked #979 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 234 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Toby?

43,233 babies have been named Toby in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Toby most popular?

Toby peaked in 1975, when 1,349 newborns received the name.

Is Toby a boy or girl name?

Toby is used for both: about 19% of babies named Toby have been girls and 81% boys.

Is the name Toby rising or falling?

Toby is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Toby become more popular?

Toby looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 222 boys named Toby in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Toby?

Well-known people named Toby include Toby Keith (singer), Toby Jones (actor), Toby Stephens (actor).

Names like Toby

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

Compare Toby with similar names → More names starting with T →