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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Pet/vernacular form of Tobias, meaning 'God is good'
- Origin
- English (Middle English form of Tobias, ultimately Hebrew)
- Gender
- Used for both boys and girls
- Pronunciation
- TOH-bee
Toby is the pet, everyday form of Tobias, an English name meaning 'God is good' that reaches back through Middle English to Hebrew roots. It's a short, familiar name with a long documented history among English-speaking families. If you're considering Toby, you're picking a name with real staying power behind its casual sound.
Meaning & Origin of Toby
Meaning: Pet/vernacular form of Tobias, meaning 'God is good'.
Origin: English (Middle English form of Tobias, ultimately Hebrew).
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Toby
TOH-beeIPA /ˈtoʊbi/
Popularity of Toby
Toby hit its high point in 1975, ranking #190 with 1,191 babies given the name that year. By 2024 it had slipped to #1104 with just 194 babies, a steady decline across the SSA's 1882-2024 records.
Names Like Toby
These names have followed a similar path to Toby in U.S. popularity over the years.
FAQ
What does the name Toby mean?
Pet/vernacular form of Tobias, meaning ‘God is good’. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Toby?
Toby is pronounced TOH-bee (IPA: /ˈtoʊbi/).
Is Toby a popular name right now?
Toby peaked at #190 in 1975 and is ranked #1104 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1882–2024.)
Make Toby Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Toby, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Toby? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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