Tobias

Did you know?

A few things about Tobias you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Tobias

Tobias Smollett

Scottish writer and surgeon (1721–1771)

Choose Tobias and your child shares a first name with Tobias Smollett, a Scottish writer and surgeon. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Tobias, like who?” Tobias Smollett's Wikipedia article is available in 51 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Tobias Smollett on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unidentified painter, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,422 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Tobias, 1,201 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Tobias would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryTobias has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Tobiass, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2016, when it reached #246.
• 📈Then vs nowTobias is 4.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 5,760 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,422.
• 🍂TrendTobias has slipped 20 places over the last five years and now sits at #283. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedTobias is most popular in South Dakota, where it ranks #116, followed by New Hampshire (#130) and Montana (#149). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Tobias means “God is good”.

About the name Tobias

Tobias is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is good”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with T and ending in “-ias”. US birth records list Tobias for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 131 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked #246 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #283, with 1,201 babies.

Origin:Hebrew names