Bobby is the pet form of Robert, a Germanic name from hrod, "fame", and beraht, "bright", usually translated as "bright fame". Robert F. Kennedy, chess champion Bobby Fischer and hockey great Bobby Orr are among the many Americans known by it. Bobby was a top 30 name in the 1930s and 1940s, still ranked number 364 in 2000 and has since slipped out of the top 1000, standing at number 1097 in 2025.