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Home › Baby Names Directory › Roberts

Roberts

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Roberts

Pronounced ROB-urts /ˈrɒb.ərts/Low

Meaning: Roberts is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Robert.' Robert itself joins the Germanic elements hrod, 'fame,' and berht, 'bright,' for 'bright with fame.' Common across England and Wales, the surname is used here as a first name, carrying the well-known meaning of its base name Robert.Low

In 30 seconds: Roberts is a rare boy's name from the surname 'son of Robert,' Robert meaning 'bright fame.' It peaked early, around 1922 (said ROB-urts).
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Origin LowEnglish, Germanic
MeaningRoberts is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Robert.' Robert itself joins the Germanic elements hrod, 'fame,' and berht, 'bright,' for 'bright with fame.' Common across England and Wales, the surname is used here as a first name, carrying the well-known meaning of its base name Robert.
U.S. rank (1999)#9647 ↗ Rising
1999 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1922
Total births (all-time)≈ 422

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192219131999

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Roberts is the patronymic surname 'son of Robert,' with Robert built from hrod, 'fame,' and berht, 'bright.' Used as a first name it borrows that surname whole, staying uncommon in the United States, and its meaning of 'bright fame' comes straight from the base name.

Roberts appeared in small numbers in the earlier twentieth century, with a modest high around 1922 when it was given to only about fifteen boys a year. A man named Roberts at that peak would belong to a great-grandparents' generation today, and the name reads as a firm, old surname-name.

Did you know? The Robert behind Roberts means 'bright fame,' a Germanic name so popular after the Norman Conquest that it spread across England and Wales as a surname.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Roberts — Patronymic surname 'son of Robert' < Germanic hrod 'fame' + berht 'bright'; early-century use as given name.

Variations

RobertsonRobbinsRobert

Nicknames

RobRobbie

Famous Bearers

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If you like Roberts…

Roberto— the base name Robert in Spanish-Italian form
Robinson— a comparable son-of-Robert surname
Harris— a like patronymic surname-name
Edwards— another surname-name of the same shape

Explore names like Roberts

By themeenglishvintagegermanicsurname

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Roberts mean?

It is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Robert,' with Robert itself meaning 'bright fame.'

How do you pronounce Roberts?

It is said ROB-urts /ˈrɒb.ərts/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Roberts a boy or girl name?

Roberts is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Roberts?

It was always rare in the United States as a first name, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the early nineteen-twenties.

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