Tobias Name Meaning

The name Tobias is derived from the Hebrew name Tobiah, which means “the Lord is good.” It was a popular name among Jewish people during the Babylonian exile, as the Book of Tobit, which tells the story of a man named Tobit, was widely read and influential in that time period.

History of the Name Tobias

Tobias made its way from the Middle East to the Western world through the Bible. The name became especially popular among Christians during the Middle Ages, and has been used ever since. In fact, Tobias was one of the top 100 names in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Popularity of the Name Tobias

Tobias has been a popular name in pop culture for decades, appearing in books, movies, and television shows. Some notable Tobys include Tobias Fünke from the hit show “Arrested Development,” Tobias Beckett from the Star Wars franchise, and Tobias Wolff, an acclaimed author and short story writer.

Tobias has a plethora of nicknames, including Toby, Tobey, Tobey Boy, and Tobster. These nicknames make the name Tobias even more charming and endearing, don’t you think? It’s like getting two names for the price of one!

Final Thoughts on the Name Tobias

Tobias may not be as popular as it was during its heyday in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but it’s still a lovely and timeless name. It’s a name that is both traditional and modern, and has the ability to stand the test of time. Plus, with all those cute nicknames, what’s not to love?

In conclusion, Tobias is a classic name with a rich history and plenty of charm. Whether you’re a fan of the nickname Tobey or prefer the more traditional Toby, there’s no denying that Tobias is a great choice for any baby boy. So go ahead, give that little guy a name that’s as good as gold.

Infographic of Tobias name meaning, which is A Hebrew name, Tobias means God is good.
Ask your friends & family about Tobias…

Tobias Name Popularity

How popular is the name Tobias? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 1,192 5 0.0007%
1915 1,475 5 0.0006%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 1,148 10 0.001%
1918 1,416 5 0.0005%
1919 1,272 7 0.0007%
1920 1,289 8 0.0007%
1921 1,330 7 0.0006%
1922 1,446 6 0.0005%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 — 0 0%
1925 — 0 0%
1926 1,596 5 0.0005%
1927 — 0 0%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 — 0 0%
1930 — 0 0%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 — 0 0%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 1,369 5 0.0004%
1943 1,305 6 0.0005%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 — 0 0%
1946 — 0 0%
1947 — 0 0%
1948 — 0 0%
1949 — 0 0%
1950 1,426 5 0.0003%
1951 — 0 0%
1952 1,298 8 0.0005%
1953 — 0 0%
1954 — 0 0%
1955 — 0 0%
1956 — 0 0%
1957 — 0 0%
1958 — 0 0%
1959 1,239 11 0.0006%
1960 1,348 8 0.0004%
1961 1,251 11 0.0006%
1962 1,210 11 0.0006%
1963 1,085 17 0.0009%
1964 1,440 6 0.0003%
1965 938 26 0.0016%
1966 1,338 7 0.0004%
1967 1,087 15 0.001%
1968 1,096 16 0.0011%
1969 834 45 0.0029%
1970 732 81 0.0051%
1971 767 68 0.0045%
1972 760 64 0.0047%
1973 690 87 0.0067%
1974 566 153 0.0118%
1975 540 175 0.0136%
1976 500 209 0.0162%
1977 550 192 0.0142%
1978 519 200 0.0149%
1979 505 227 0.0161%
1980 547 201 0.0137%
1981 613 145 0.0099%
1982 640 132 0.0088%
1983 708 97 0.0066%
1984 765 84 0.0056%
1985 749 93 0.0061%
1986 700 117 0.0078%
1987 757 100 0.0066%
1988 695 134 0.0086%
1989 700 150 0.0093%
1990 743 139 0.0084%
1991 734 142 0.0087%
1992 807 120 0.0075%
1993 750 145 0.0093%
1994 811 121 0.0079%
1995 739 159 0.0105%
1996 728 160 0.0107%
1997 647 209 0.0141%
1998 593 268 0.0179%
1999 599 267 0.0178%
2000 588 294 0.0192%
2001 574 315 0.0209%
2002 524 392 0.0262%
2003 500 450 0.0296%
2004 500 450 0.0295%
2005 488 468 0.0306%
2006 478 516 0.033%
2007 474 533 0.0338%
2008 535 450 0.0291%
2009 514 488 0.0326%
2010 533 438 0.0304%
2011 529 444 0.0312%
2012 516 467 0.0328%
2013 481 524 0.0368%
2014 407 724 0.0497%
2015 313 1,093 0.0751%
2016 244 1,507 0.1045%
2017 268 1,304 0.0934%
2018 271 1,263 0.0919%
2019 269 1,293 0.0955%
2020 263 1,243 0.0977%
2021 276 1,221 0.0999%
2022 274 1,235 0.0936%
2023 277 1,197 0.0925%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Tobias

If you like Tobias, you’ll love these other names like Tobias.

What names are variants of Tobias?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Tobias.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Thobey

God is good

Hebrew

Thobie

God is good

Hebrew

Thoby

God is good

Hebrew

Tobe

God is good

Hebrew

Tobee

God is good

Hebrew

Tobey

God is good

Hebrew

Tobi

God is good

Hebrew

Tobia

God is good

Hebrew

Tobiah

God is good

Hebrew

Tobie

God is good

Hebrew

Tobin

God is good

Hebrew

Tobit

God is good

Hebrew

Toby

Yahweh is Good

Hebrew

Tobyn

God is good

Hebrew

What names sound like Tobias?

If you like how Tobias sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Tobias.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Dobbs

English

What names are similar to Tobias?

Find a name that’s like Tobias, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Tuvya

God is good

Hebrew

Lists With Tobias

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Tobias.

Siblings of Tobias

Mamas with kids named Tobias also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Cassidy

Curly haired

Irish

Thomas

Twin

Greek

20 Comments

  1. We chose the name Tobias because it means “God is good,” and that’s my motto! We call him Toby for short, which we think is very cute. 🙂 he can go by Tobias if he’s ever trying to be professional in the future, but he will always be Toby to us. We gave him the middle name of Jeffrey, which is the name of my father who passed away when I was 10 years old.

    Reply

  2. It was unique but classic sounding. Fun nn of Toby. Loved the meaning of the name!

    Reply

  3. I love his name. It’s a strong but also cute and I don’t think it’s over used

    Reply

  4. God gave me this name in my quiet time. 10 months ago I had a miscarriage and the first thing on my mind is that God is still good. When I looked up this names meaning upon receiving it, it means goodness of God. I cried and knew it would be our boy’s name.

    Reply

  5. I do not have any dis like about the name Tobias because it just seemed like the perfect name for him I actually read the name on your baby list of names and was just had the feeling that Tobias was the perfect name for him

    Reply

  6. Our baby boy is a miracle to us. In Hebrew, Tobias means “God is good”. God truly has been good to us in giving us Tobias to raise. Plus, Toby is a cute nickname!

    Reply

  7. This name can be Shortend to Toby its a good middle name.

    Reply

  8. TBH I heard the name: Tobias when watching the movie “Divergent”. Then we were really needing a Spanish/English name and when Hubby saw the meaning of it, it was game over. We love our lil’ Toby so much, and I get so many compliments on his name!

    Reply

  9. We found the name Tobias in a baby book and remembered that it was the name of two of our favorite characters from books we loved – one book series from my husband and one from me. We also love that the name means “God is good.” It felt meant to be. We call him Toby for short.

    Reply

  10. We chose Tobias for its meaning: “Goodness of Yahweh”. It reflects the blessing of child, but also reminds us of healing that happened during the baby’s time in utero. It’s also an older name, not commonly used.

    Reply

    • My son name is Tobias now that I know the meaning of his name I love it that much more……

      Reply

  11. He’s named after the father’s oldest brother who raised him. His middle name is jeovanni after his great great grandpa but with a j so we can call him T.J.

    Reply

  12. Gift of God is the meaning. We like Toby as a nickname. It is easy to spell and pronounce. It works well for different ages.

    Reply

  13. We liked the meaning, which is “???? is good”.

    Reply

    • Why the ???? Marks in your post? Should be God or Jehovah… Just wanted to ask for the reason you chose to post like that?

      Reply

  14. My husband is German and I am American. His entire extended family lives in Germany, where we also live. They all speak only German. My entire extended family lives in the US and speak only English. We wanted a German first name that was well-known in Germany and at least known in the US but not crazy popular. I am an elementary school teacher so I hear lots of names and know what it is like for the kids when their name is very out there or hard to spell/pronounce.

    Also it was important to us that the name could be pronounced exactly the same in both English and German. My first name is very difficult to pronounce in German as the first sound doesn’t exist in German. My husband’s name, Ren?, sounds very different in English compared to German as the R sound differs between the languages. Although pronunciation of Tobias does differ in German and US English (Toe-bee-us vs Toe-by-us respectively), we decided on the German pronunciation as we live in Germany and all of my US family has adjusted to that quickly.

    A last factor was the strong associations in German with many common American names, for example Kevin and Justin. These names, while more popular in the US, are consider strange here and often only used by people who are of a low socio-economic status or poorly educated. We wanted to avoid these names.

    We had a very short list that met all of these criteria. Tobias flowed the best with the middle and last name and we liked the nickname Tobi.

    Reply

  15. We prayed and prayed over our son’s name. He was supposed to have a different name, but about a month before he was born, dad said the name Tobias had been coming to him over and over. It means God is good.

    Reply

  16. We chose the name Tobias for a few reasons. The first being that it is tradition in my husband’s family to give the first son his father’s first name as the middle name, so we needed to find a name that went with Jonathan. The second being that this pregnancy was a rainbow baby (number 5) so we were looking for a name that had special meaning. Between his name meaning blessing after the storm, and his father’s meaning gift of God, it’s pretty special.
    We were also hoping to find a name that would have a cute nickname but it wasn’t a must. We ended up choosing
    Tobias (Tobi) Jonathan King

    Reply

  17. I fell in love with the name when a little boy at my church was named that. There are so many good nicknames with Tobias! Toby is cute for when they’re little and Tobias is manly 🙂

    Reply

  18. We call him Tevye (form of Tobias) – named after reb Tevye from the Fiddler on the Roof. It comes from Tov Jah – which means the ‘goodness of God’

    Reply

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