Toby

At a Glance: Name: Toby – 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

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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

Phonetic: TOH-bee   IPA: /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.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name 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.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Wendy
• Angelique
• Marlon
• Dana
• Raquel
• Farrah

FAQ

What does the name Toby mean?

Pet/vernacular form of Tobias, meaning ‘God is good’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Toby)

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.)

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