Toby

♀ Girl

Pronounced TOH-bee /ˈtoʊ.bi/Medium

Meaning: Yahweh is goodMedium

In 30 seconds: Toby is an English name meaning 'Yahweh is good', a friendly short form of Tobias used here for a girl.

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Origin MediumEnglish

MeaningYahweh is good

U.S. rank (2024)#2004 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births98 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1941

Total births (all-time)≈ 8,284

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Recorded with the meaning 'Yahweh is good', Toby is the everyday English form of Tobias, itself from the Hebrew Toviyya. Its variations — Tobiah, Tobias, Tobia and Tobiáš — trace the longer roots behind the casual short form. Bearers include English character actor Toby Jones and American actor Toby Huss.

The -y ending gives it warmth and an easygoing, unisex feel. The fuller forms like Tobias and Toviyya show the devotional origin sitting under the relaxed nickname.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Toby is ' Yahweh is good', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Toby — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

TobiahTobiasToviyyaTobiaTobiáš

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Toby Jones (b. 1966)
English character actor; Olivier Award winner known for 'Infamous', 'Captain America', 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' and 'Detectorists'.
★Toby Huss (b. 1966)
American actor and voice actor; known for 'The Adventures of Pete & Pete', 'King of the Hill' and 'Halt and Catch Fire'.

If you like Toby…

Tobias— Listed variation; the full form Toby shortens, same meaning.

Kirby— a similarly popular pick

Colby— lands in the same popularity range

Libby— shares Toby's English roots

Tanner— shares Toby's English roots

Explore names like Toby

By themeenglish unisex

By meaningGod / Divine

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Toby mean?

Toby is usually explained as meaning ' Yahweh is good' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Toby?

It's commonly said TOH-bee /ˈtoʊ.bi/.

Is Toby a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Toby is used as a girl name.

How popular is Toby?

In 2024, Toby ranked #2004 in the U.S. for girls, with 98 births recorded.