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.

Names definitely affect snap judgements. Especially when that’s all you have to go on, like quickly browsing through CVs or choosing who would be a good candidate to stand for your party. He might love being a Bobby, and it might suit him and his goals, but if it doesn’t then it really really won’t and leaves him no options. I actually go by my own nickname in almost every situation in my life, but I use my longer more formal name on publications, and it would make my job harder if I couldn’t.

I don't really understand why you're asking on here.

You apparently love the name Bobby and think Robert is dated.

So, fine, call the baby Bobby.

I think it's an awful name for a man. It'd be a huge turn off for me if a date was called Bobby. Urgh.

I was asking mainly to establish how common it was, and the thread has been helpful at clarifying its not as common as I thought.

That was why I asked ☺️

I do think there are far worse names and didn’t think Bobby was particularly controversial, but apparently it is!

I know 3 little Bobby/ies - all girls. For a boy I'd be going with the y ending

@LoubyLou92 Honestly, when you asked, it is common, I thought you meant is it chavvy not is it too popular.

How about Sebastian 😍

Bobby means willie in Scotland. That’s why people are comparing it to Dick.

I don't know anyone under age 72 named Bob or Bobby.

I think it's a lovely name for a boy.

I grew up with two Bobby's both changed to Rob / Bob as they left school.
I think Robert gives more options for them to choose something that suits them.

And while Boabie might be a Glasgow/ West Central belt thing. These types of things have a habit of spreading.
It has a soft childish meaning like Willy rather than a hard meaning like Dick, ie I've never heard anyone say "hes is a Boabie" the way people say "he's a dick"

It's a perfectly nice name. Robert is totally different name in my opinion - old fashioned and in the league of John. A bit bland.

Bobby sounds more fun than Robert and names are changing - your son can be any profession he bloody likes what's wrong with people? 😆

'Sorry straight A student you can't study law because your name is Bobby.'

That doesn't happen.

The Bobbys I know are all gypsies, live locally and are brilliant for clearing any garden waste! Lovely guys, very reliable and tidy, do a brilliant job.
Mil once said after we named Dc1 that they’d never read the news with a name like that (as though 1 - my main aim in life was to have a child who was a news reader and 2 - it is a perfectly normal mainstream name that I have heard many times before and since 😂 I love mil but she never really got that we didn’t all aspire to be great leaders or figureheads!!). Anyway, about 5 years later I saw a news correspondent with dds name and I called mil and told her, we did at least both laugh.

OP, if you want to call him Bobby call him Bobby. You don’t have to call him Robert for him to have a choice down the line, he can make that decision for himself if and when it comes to it. I hate the idea of having to choose a stuffier version of a name just because it’s ‘proper’. If you’re never planning on calling him Robert don’t put it on the birth certificate. Bobby is hardly out there!

Sadly there is still huge prejudice towards names. Where we work they sometimes remove the names to try and stop it. However I have recruited in many roles and 100% know that people judge on names.
A Bobby compared to a Rob or Robert would be judged more harshly. Sad but true!

Bobby might not be out there it's definitely likely calling a child Willy / Willie. I have a 7yo who was cracking jokes about Willy Wonka.

At least make sure they have choice should Boabie become more wide spread.

It's a fact that people make assumptions based on a name. CVs come in, and it's more likely Robert will get an interview than Bobby.

I do sometimes judge people by their names, because it can be a clue as to what their parents/upbringing were like. For example, if you met a Michael Hunt, you'd know his parents were utterly clueless.

@Needanewname42 i think Bobby/boabby/willy may be a Scottish association as mentioned upthread, I’ve never heard anyone here in the SE using the word Bobby to mean your dick!
I’ve heard Corey though used as willy, so I’d never use that name 😂 every time I hear Cory/corey (rare) I think dick.

If it's very important to future Bobby to have a different name, he can change it.
He probably won't though. But he could.
So the posts fretting about how it'll affect his career prospects are irrelevant.
@LoubyLou92 you call your little one what you like! 💐

I've never heard of Corey. And if someone told me that I think I'd make sure they had an alternative name. Because you never know how these words are going to take off.

But a Google on the word Boabie.Boabie
It's about half way through.

Can you see your now adult son putting Bobby on his cv, on business cards? Isn't he better off having a formal name and she use Bobby as a nickname? Honestly I feel sorry for these kids when they are adults. My cousins son changed his name at 21 to the formal version of his name as he was given the cute nickname as a his legal name at birth. He never uses his old name

@Plate24

I was about to say the same. I've worked in hr and we discarded applications which had names that we didn't believe suited the professional image they needed, this included people who put nickname sounding names eg Charlie or Jamie. In the office people used nicknames that wasn't an issue we (well HR director) had a thing for formality and image. I shorten my name but my legal name is a "proper" one. Not the only hr dept that I've come across this either as I've temped in other places with similar if not quite so draconian policies.

I love Bobby - it's my son's friends name (20). My friends dad is Robert but he's Bob and Bobby is Bobby!
My female cousin is Bobbie (60) but her real name is Beverley which she hates so has gone by Bobbie since her teens and made her parents call her Bobbie (I dont even think her adult kids know her real name as she tells them it's Roberta!)

@mitogoshi does the same thing happen with women? Lots of females have very cutesie nickname sounding formal names like Lucy, Ellie type names.

Lucy isn’t a nickname.

The same treatment would be given to a “Mel” instead of Melissa, or “Lizzie” : Elizabeth, “Sash” : Sasha.

That's really very discriminatory

Completely agree! And think that’s more of a reflection on the company…

I do work in a job of a professional background, despite was seems to be believed by previous posters who seem to think I am being naive to what names people need to have to work professionally. I won’t disclose my role but I speak to solicitors and people within the court system on at least a weekly basis if not more frequently. What I will say is I have worked alongside Alfie’s, Charlie’s, Toby’s amongst other nickname names and I have never thought to myself “Goodness, a solicitor called Toby, he clearly can’t do his job”. I do not believe someone’s name is a reflection on their capabilities or professionalism, and any person or company who does have that belief are extremely small minded.

I do not think Bobby sounds unprofessional at all. I would not call him Robert (a name I actually dislike) just to be able to call him Bobby. If I decide against Bobby I will simply choose a different name all together.