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Toby as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Toby

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The baby name Toby is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced TOH-bee.

Toby is English, Greek, Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: English, Greek, Hebrew
Pronunciation: TOH-bee

What is the meaning of the name Toby ?

The baby name Toby is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced TOH-bee.

Toby is English, Greek, Hebrew in Origin.

Toby is an English diminutive of Tobias, shaped in Middle English as a vernacular short form with the familiar -y ending. Tobias is the Greek biblical form of Hebrew Toviyyah or Toviyahu, built from tov, good, and the divine name Yah or Yahu, shortened forms of Yahweh. Its literal sense is Yahweh is good, often paraphrased as God is good.

In English use Toby long served as a pet form before becoming an independent given name, especially in Britain and other Commonwealth countries. The Apocryphal Book of Tobit kept Tobias in Christian naming tradition, while Shakespeare’s Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night gave the short form an early literary presence. It has occasionally been used for women since the nineteenth century, but remains chiefly masculine; variants include Tobey, Tobi, Tobias, Tobiah, Tobia, Tobiasz, and Tobiáš.

Toby has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Toby

Edmund Barton Politician · Born 1849 · Australia Toby Barton, better known as Sir Edmund Barton, is most famous for being Australia’s first prime minister, serving from 1901 to 1903. He was also a barrister and politician who later became one of the founding justices of the High Court of Australia, where he served until his death in 1920. Tobin Bell Actor · Born 1942 · United States Tobin Bell is an American actor best known for his role as John Kramer, also known as Jigsaw, in the Saw film series. His chilling portrayal of the character has made him a staple in the horror genre. Born in 1942, Bell's career spans decades with numerous appearances in both film and television. Toby Jones Actor · Born 1966 · United Kingdom Toby Jones is a British actor best known for his role as Truman Capote in the film 'Infamous'. He has also gained recognition for his performances in 'The Hunger Games' series and as the voice of Dobby in the 'Harry Potter' films.
Toby Kebbell Actor · Born 1982 · United Kingdom Toby Kebbell is a British actor best known for his role as Koba in the film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He has also appeared in movies like RocknRolla and War Horse, showcasing his versatility in both action and drama genres. Toby Keith Actor|musician · Born 1961 · United States Toby Keith is a well-known American musician, particularly famous for his country music hits. He gained widespread popularity with songs like 'Should've Been a Cowboy', 'Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue', and 'As Good as I Once Was'. Born in 1961, he has become a staple in the country music scene in the United States. Toby Stephens Actor · Born 1969 · United Kingdom Toby Stephens is a British actor best known for his role as Bond villain Gustav Graves in the film 'Die Another Day'. He also starred as Captain Flint in the TV series 'Black Sails' and portrayed Mr. Rochester in the BBC adaptation of 'Jane Eyre'.

Toby – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
GE 0 #44 1 997
New Zealand Boys 2010 #46 99 99
MO 0 #47 6 2,706
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
CN 0 #76 10 3,857
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
TW 0 #97 7 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
BN Boys 0 #134 6 6,332
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
PA 0 #136 3 3,797
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
MT Boys 0 #173 7 4,064
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
Sweden Boys 2019 #183 2 1,462
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
MO Boys 0 #200 24 5,842
MO Girls 0 #205 47 7,056
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
TW Boys 0 #209 33 7,111
Belgium Boys 2002 #217 18 422
LU Boys 0 #218 3 4,970
NA Boys 0 #224 12 6,830
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
HK 0 #233 121 8,483
HK Boys 0 #234 497 12,905
NG 0 #235 30 5,926
EC Boys 0 #243 4 3,322
SG 0 #251 19 11,010
CN Boys 0 #255 67 9,639
HR Boys 0 #257 3 3,997
HK Girls 0 #261 499 16,104
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
Canada Boys 2024 #278 29 2,588
IL 0 #279 4 6,291
JP Boys 0 #281 17 7,909
TW Girls 0 #283 7 8,139
Canada Girls 2018 #286 5 2,960
JM Boys 0 #287 7 6,876
CZ Boys 0 #293 12 6,530
DK Boys 0 #311 15 7,401
GT 0 #335 4 5,948
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
MY 0 #350 5 12,352
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
CN Girls 0 #352 8 8,829
PH Boys 0 #352 32 11,440
SD Girls 0 #356 3 7,678
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
NL 0 #374 18 2,481
PT Boys 0 #377 5 7,951
France Boys 2021 #385 3 2,865
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
UY Boys 0 #390 10 5,922
Germany 0 #396 42 2,542
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
Austria Boys 0 #417 26 2,180
OM Girls 0 #424 1 15,987
AR Boys 0 #427 41 7,628
PH Girls 0 #428 2 13,098
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
ZA 0 #435 13 14,421
PA Boys 0 #436 46 9,305
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
CR Boys 0 #450 38 10,188
GT Boys 0 #454 21 7,625
SD Boys 0 #460 7 10,523
RU Boys 0 #489 17 12,621
CO 0 #505 6 7,768
PS Girls 0 #514 10 10,981
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
CM Boys 0 #537 14 12,054
PS Boys 0 #539 10 10,655
IR Boys 0 #541 12 10,162
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
LY 0 #555 5 12,703
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
CR Girls 0 #569 5 11,342
BO Boys 0 #571 22 9,244
BH 0 #579 9 17,937
IL Boys 0 #590 18 10,983
AE Girls 0 #592 6 20,968
CL Boys 0 #599 67 13,390
IL Girls 0 #601 17 11,648
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
SG Boys 0 #618 80 17,960
SG Girls 0 #624 9 18,916
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
NL Boys 0 #633 336 5,873
BO Girls 0 #647 5 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
Germany Boys 0 #658 312 5,697
Finland Boys 2026 #659 24 3,552
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #691 7 13,071
IT 0 #695 20 4,183
QA Boys 0 #695 13 18,093
NG Boys 0 #697 267 16,906
United States Boys 2024 #700 194 7,044
BR Boys 0 #733 19 12,213
NG Girls 0 #736 51 15,093
CO Boys 0 #748 174 15,656
KW Boys 0 #758 12 18,755
SY 0 #765 3 11,684
MX Boys 0 #810 175 16,355
United States Girls 2024 #819 98 8,487
PE Boys 0 #830 49 14,506
Spain Boys 0 #850 81 5,610
OM Boys 0 #862 20 17,948
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
EG Boys 0 #876 11 15,035
CL Girls 0 #910 6 14,098
NL Girls 0 #932 24 5,933
MY Girls 0 #979 16 24,821
BR Girls 0 #989 4 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,009 2 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,010 5 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,034 6 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,040 72 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,043 50 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,049 30 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,064 115 25,619
ZA Girls 0 #1,114 28 25,928
DZ 0 #1,164 13 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,166 18 17,781
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
TR 0 #1,247 8 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,320 152 10,046
IT Girls 0 #1,430 17 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,576 39 28,008

Toby is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
England & Wales, United Kingdom
Ireland
United States

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

People also ask about Toby

Toby is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Toby is a 2 syllable name, pronounced TOH-bee.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Tobey, Tobi, Tobias, Tobiah, Tovia and Toviyah.
Yes, very popular — Toby ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Toby ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 12 notable people named Toby are in our database, including Edmund Barton (Politician), Tobin Bell (Actor), Toby Jones (Actor).