Bobby - is it too common?

[LoubyLou92]

Thoughts on the name Bobby for a boy? I like both spellings Bobby and Bobbie. Is it really common? I prefer less common names for girls but struggling to find a less common boy name.

Also - I do not like Robert so the name would be Bobby.

I know I’m naming an adult, I personally don’t think Bobby is offensive for an adult but everyone has different opinions.

The top 100 is a pretty big list, and while those names are more popular it doesn't mean there are loads of them.

In 2021 there were only 772 boys registered with the name Bobby

Even the top name Noah only had 4525 boys registered with the name.

https://names.darkgreener.com/#bobby

A name like Alfie or Jack at least sounds like a grown up name even if they’re nicknamey, it’s very limiting to have a given name of Bobby. It’s not just a nickname it’s a very babyish one that would hold him back in lots of settings and careers. Bob not much better and that’s the only option you’d be giving him. If you do it at least give him a decent middle name as back up.

I love Bobby and it's my friends sons name. After her dad and he's Bob. My cousin is Bobbie and has been since she could change her name from Beverley which she hated.

I know of two children both under 11 at Dc school.

It's not common in my experience.
It is a little baby-ish. Are you ok with it transitioning to Bob as he gets older?

I LOVE it

Everyone has different tastes and opinions - I personally really don’t like names like Michael, Robert, Oliver, John etc because I think they sound dated, but a lot of people love these names and think they’re “classic

• *But surely the shortened versions of those names will also be dated. I have family friend, named Robert, now in his 50s. We used to call Bobby when he. Was a kid, now he is Bob. It is the “y” at the end that could limit you child as an adult.

I still dislike Jack as a name and not a nickname.

It's a very commonly used slang in Scotland for Penis..."Boabby"

I would avoid it

It's a family name (on his side).

Great name.

Nothing remotely babyish about it.

OP it's BOBBY. Don't do the IE.. think that's the female version.

My Scottish colleague has actually just told me the same thing! Doesn’t seem to be a common thing here though because he was the only one in the office who had heard that previously.

I work in construction and work alongside many Bobbys- they’re always at least mid 50s, smoke 30+ a day and have a best mate called Willie or Davy.

As a name it somehow manages to be babyish and dated at the same time, and the lack of decent shortenings puts me off big time. Prefer Rob/Robb/Robbie.

I’ve never met a single Bobby. I don’t mind it.

I have a Bobby, he’s 16 and only know a couple of other Bobbys in his school. Robert on his BC though so if he decides to be referred to as Rob, Bob, Robbie when he’s older then fine with me.

It's not common but it is common. What if little Bobby wants to be a Barrister or a Pathologist? I really don't like these types of names, each to his own but I tend not to feel inclined towards the job applications from Dotty and Charlieeeiey. They just sound like they will be useless

Robert or Robin are better. You are naming him for the next 90 years, not the first six months.

I'm gen x and struggle to get past it being short for Robert. I know you don't like it but you could name him Robert but he's always known as Bobby. Also means when he's older he could also call himself Rob, Robbie, Bob, Bobby? Friend of mine called her son Edward, To be known as Ned, no one has EVER called him Edward! I think you have to fast forward 25 years and imagine whether he would still want Bobby as it sounds quite 'young'?

It’s not as common as say Robbie but if it’s for a boy, I think that you should definitely spell it Bobby because Bobbie is for a female.

Famous Bobby… Bobby Davro (kids won’t know that one), SpongeBob, Bobby Brazier (kids won’t know that one ), Bobbie Brown (female and different spelling so not an issue) so no famous Bobby to tarnish the name. I would avoid Bobby if your surname matches a famous Bobby though- everybody that I’ve met with a famous person with the same name hates it.

I don’t think it’s as bad as some posters make out. There’s lots of boys with nicknames as their first name on their birth certificate and they sound serious enough for an important job like being a judge.

Absolutely. It feels like bubble wrap in the mouth and just has no substance. Anyway, each to their own. Not everyone will like my kids names (they're probably insane not to though) and we each have our preferences. I just find Bobby to be very nothingy.

Penis wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind, but it was a close second!

Those people who are saying Bobby is a child's name - never heard of Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton or Bobby Robson? All obviously had the given name Robert, but being known as Bobby didn't do them any harm.

Those are all footballers? Probably christened Robert. Find some judges, academics, and doctors christened Robert and they probably don’t go by Bobby professionally.

I wasn’t answering whether Bobby is suitably middle-class though - I clearly said that I was responding to those that deemed Bobby childish.

Bobby is nicer than Bobbie. As long as you’re happy that he will probably get Bob now and then. Not everyone likes the same names, so many of the names that are suggested on these posts as alternatives to the ‘awful’ names the OP gives are terrible IMO, so don’t let anyone with a different taste put you off. Bobby is - nice name and nobody will bat an eye if you use it instead of Robert. Nobody ever asks Kate’s ‘are you really Catherine’ it’s just a non-thing.. go for it if you love it. You can’t please everyone!

I actually really disagree with this - in this day and age I don’t think a name (unless it is completely ridiculous like Sugarplum Fairy) has the power to dictate what career you can do. I wouldn’t think it odd to see a doctor called Bobby.

Plus - judges and doctors tend to be referred to by their surname so the first name wouldn’t be too relevant 🤷🏻‍♀️