Given name & surname
Obed
“servant of God”·“a servant of God”
Obed is a variant of Obadiah. Interpretations include “servant of God” (Hebrew) and “a servant of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewעבד
Meaning & origin
What it means
Obed is a variant of Obadiah. Interpretations include “servant of God” (Hebrew) and “a servant of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Obed is a variant of Obadiah. An origin associated with Obadiah is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Obed appears in Ruth 4:17, 1 Chronicles 2:12, Matthew 1:5 and 2 other passages.
- Ruth 4:17
- 1 Chronicles 2:12
- Matthew 1:5
- Luke 3:32
- 1 Chronicles 2:37
From biblical name research
Obed through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,135
- 4,135 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2005
- 137 babies
- 2025
- 72
- #2,072 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 72 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,072 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 9.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 137 in 2005. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,102 as a first name in 2020; 305 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 7
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Obed
- Obed VargasMexican soccer playerborn 2005
- Obed NkambadioFrench footballer (born 2003)
- Obed EnamoradoHonduran footballerborn 1985
- Obed AsamoahGhanian lawyer and politicianborn 1936
- Obed MaloloFinnish association football playerborn 1997
- Obed HallAmerican politician1757–1828
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Obed, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ahmed
“more commendable” · “most praiseworthy”
>99% boys
Ahmad
“more commendable” · “most praiseworthy”
>99% boys
Omar
“a flourishing man; one who is well-spoken”
>99% boys
Oscar
“a spear of the gods” · “a friend of deer”
>99% boys
Rohan
“a red-haired man” · “one who ascends”
99% boys · 1% girls
Aryan
“noble; noble one”
94% boys · 6% girls
Andy
“manly; a warrior” · “manliness”
96% boys · 4% girls
Yahir
>99% boys