Robert - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity

Boy name origins & meanings

Spanish: Bright flame
Old English: Bright; famous

What does Robert mean and stand for?

The name Robert is of Old English origin and means "bright fame." It derives from the German name Hrodebert, from the elements hrod (fame) and bertha (bright). Normans brought the name to England, making it popular with royalty.

Syllables: 2

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Family name origins & meanings

English, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Róbert), etc: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hrōd ‘renown’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’. This is found occasionally in England before the Conquest, but in the main it was introduced into England by the Normans and quickly became popular among all classes of society. The surname is also occasionally borne by Jews, as an Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames.
A Robert from La Rochelle, France is documented in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, in 1666, with the secondary surname <xref>Lafontaine</xref>. A family from the Saintonge region of France are recorded in Contrecoeur in 1681, with the secondary surname <xref>Deslauriers</xref>. Other secondary surnames include Saint-Amand, <xref>Breton</xref> and <xref>Lebreton</xref>, <xref>Watson</xref>, La Pomeray, Durandeau, and Dureau.

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Popularity of the Name Robert

According to Social Security Administration data, Robert has been consistently popular, falling out of the top 50 in 2009, but still remaining in the top 100 since 2000.

However, it is the 36th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years, Robert was at its peak popularity in February 2019.

Robert was brought to England by the Normans and was the name of three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce, who freed Scotland from English rule. Robert held the number 1 spot for a few years in the 1900s and maintained a steady spot in the top 25 for decades. Notable Roberts include Robert E. Lee, Robert Redford, Robert De Niro, Robert Downing Jr., Robert Pattinson, and Robert Kardashian. The name has also been popular for fictional characters in The Office, Rocky, Everybody Loves Raymond, Westworld, and Resident Evil to name a few.