Given name & surname
Tobe
“The Lord is good”
Tobe is a variant of Tobias. One Hebrew interpretation is “The Lord is good.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Tobe is a variant of Tobias. One Hebrew interpretation is “The Lord is good.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Tobe is a variant of Tobias. An origin associated with Tobias is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Tobe is a diminutive of Toby.
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. Tobe is a variant of Tobias. The history of Tobias gives this family its wider story. Tobias appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Tobe through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 978
- 949 boys · 29 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 20 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 20 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 533 as a first name in 2020; 876 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.
Tobe’s family of names
In English usage, Tobe is a diminutive of Toby. Tobe has a related form in Tobias.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Tobe
- Tobe HooperAmerican film director, screenwriter and producer (1943-2017)
- Tobe LeysenBelgian association football playerborn 2002
- Tobe SextonAmerican actorborn 1968
- Tobe LevinAmerican academicborn 1948
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tobe, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ziba
“alliance” · “collective”
>99% boys
Mosie
>99% boys
Gomer
“complete” · “of the good fight”
>99% boys
Alvah
“rising”
96% boys · 4% girls
Beno
“his son”
>99% boys
Benjamon
“son of the right hand” · “son of the south”
>99% boys
Ruel
“friend of God” · “a friend of God”
>99% boys
Tommey
“twin”
>99% boys