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Obi as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Obi

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The baby name Obi is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced OH-bee (IPA: /ˈoʊ.bi/).

Obi is Igbo in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Igbo
Pronunciation: OH-bee (IPA: /ˈoʊ.bi/)

What is the meaning of the name Obi ?

The baby name Obi is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced OH-bee (IPA: /ˈoʊ.bi/).

Obi is Igbo in Origin.

Obi is an Igbo given name from southeastern Nigeria, derived from the Igbo word obi, meaning “heart,” “core,” or “homestead/compound.” In several Igbo kingdoms, Obi is also the traditional title for a ruler, as in the Obi of Onitsha, which lends the name connotations of centrality, leadership, and prestige. As a personal name it is usually masculine in Nigeria but is increasingly used as gender‑neutral in the diaspora.

Obi appears both as a standalone name and as a familiar short form of longer Igbo names built on obi, such as Obinna (“father’s heart”), Obiora (“the community’s heart/day”), Obiajulu (“the heart has found rest”), and Obiefuna (“may the heart find rest”). Spelling variants include Óbí with diacritics and the Anglicized nickname Obie; Obi also occurs as an Igbo surname. Global awareness of the name has been boosted by pop culture (notably “Obi‑Wan Kenobi”), though the Japanese word obi (“kimono sash”) is etymologically unrelated.

Obi has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Obi

DeObia Oparei Actor · Born 1971 · United Kingdom DeObia Oparei is an English actor best known for playing the Gunner in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. He has also appeared as Rongo in Dumbo, Loki Hayes in Santa Clarita Diet, and Boastful Loki in Loki.

Obi – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
NG 0 #108 168 5,926
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
BW Boys 0 #150 5 4,685
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
NG Boys 0 #179 3,101 16,906
Sweden Boys 2019 #183 2 1,462
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
NG Girls 0 #217 1,432 15,093
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
BD 0 #239 3 5,992
GH 0 #242 7 5,396
AO Boys 0 #245 5 5,568
NA Boys 0 #247 7 6,830
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
JP Boys 0 #287 11 7,909
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
Canada Boys 2022 #303 8 2,557
GH Girls 0 #314 11 6,973
GH Boys 0 #319 27 8,138
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
DK Boys 0 #328 5 7,401
DK Girls 0 #329 1 7,429
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BD Girls 0 #403 4 8,413
PH Boys 0 #406 3 11,440
SD Boys 0 #410 36 10,523
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
CM Boys 0 #423 130 12,054
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
CM Girls 0 #461 80 11,671
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
ZA 0 #472 3 14,421
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
LY 0 #492 44 12,703
GT Boys 0 #496 4 7,625
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
HK Boys 0 #516 12 12,905
RU Boys 0 #518 9 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
BD Boys 0 #539 38 10,045
PS Boys 0 #557 5 10,655
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
IL Boys 0 #617 9 10,983
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
HK Girls 0 #642 9 16,104
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #677 6 3,552
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #694 4 13,071
QA Boys 0 #695 13 18,093
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
SY 0 #716 13 11,684
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #802 5 18,755
TN 0 #858 8 13,765
OM Boys 0 #863 19 17,948
United States Boys 2024 #864 29 7,044
EG Boys 0 #874 13 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #906 47 5,697
Spain Boys 0 #909 22 5,610
PE Boys 0 #920 7 14,506
NL Boys 0 #923 29 5,873
SA Girls 0 #923 13 25,931
CO Boys 0 #977 5 15,656
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,005 5 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,034 6 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,041 52 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,066 7 24,821
MY Boys 0 #1,073 39 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,089 90 25,619
MA 0 #1,100 29 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,130 12 25,928
DZ 0 #1,135 42 20,130
TR 0 #1,192 20 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,261 7 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,392 80 10,046
IT Girls 0 #1,436 11 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,564 51 28,008

Obi is popular in 70 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Sweden
AE
AL
AO

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Obi

Obi is predominantly a boy's name.
Obi is a 2 syllable name, pronounced OH-bee (IPA: /ˈoʊ.bi/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Obie and Obee.
Yes — Obi ranked #183 in Sweden in 2019, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Obi ranks highest in Sweden (#183 in 2019).
Obi's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #880 in 2014 to #864 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Obi are in our database, including DeObia Oparei (Actor).