| John | Robert | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Bright fame |
| Origin | Hebrew | Germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JON | ROB-ert |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1947 (88,324) | 1947 (91,655) |
| In 2025 | 8,027 | 3,772 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | John | Robert |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48,370 | 24,325 |
| 2010s | 102,800 | 62,654 |
| 2000s | 161,104 | 106,666 |
| 1990s | 240,151 | 205,459 |
| 1980s | 321,150 | 321,655 |
| 1970s | 402,612 | 397,225 |
| 1960s | 713,394 | 650,786 |
| 1950s | 797,922 | 830,395 |
| 1940s | 711,614 | 758,126 |
| 1930s | 487,950 | 590,810 |
| 1920s | 564,052 | 576,374 |
| 1910s | 376,311 | 239,185 |
| 1900s | 84,590 | 35,849 |
| 1890s | 80,664 | 26,147 |
| 1880s | 89,949 | 24,074 |
John comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, “Yahweh is gracious.” The most widespread of all Christian names, it was carried by John the Baptist and the apostle John, and appears in nearly every European language.
Robert is a Germanic name from hrod (“fame”) and beraht (“bright”), so “bright fame.” A Norman favourite, it was borne by the Scottish hero-king Robert the Bruce.
John is more popular than Robert today: about 8,027 US babies were given the name John in 2025, compared with 3,772 named Robert.
John means God is gracious (Hebrew origin), while Robert means Bright fame (Germanic origin).
In US records, John first appears in 1880 and Robert in 1880, so John has the longer recorded history.