| Robin | Parker | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright fame | Park keeper |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | ROB-in | PAR-ker |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1904 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1961 (15,653) | 2014 (5,720) |
| In 2025 | 400 | 3,477 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Robin | Parker |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,018 | 22,420 |
| 2010s | 2,183 | 49,234 |
| 2000s | 2,581 | 35,729 |
| 1990s | 8,501 | 16,234 |
| 1980s | 22,694 | 2,800 |
| 1970s | 45,943 | 632 |
| 1960s | 118,327 | 524 |
| 1950s | 82,423 | 568 |
| 1940s | 6,169 | 578 |
| 1930s | 717 | 559 |
| 1920s | 303 | 728 |
| 1910s | 91 | 546 |
| 1900s | 11 | 143 |
| 1890s | 0 | 134 |
| 1880s | 0 | 112 |
Robin began as a medieval pet form of Robert (from Germanic “bright fame”) and was later linked to the robin bird. Famous as Robin Hood, it is now used for both sexes — Robyn is the usual female spelling.
An English occupational surname, “keeper of the park.”
Parker is more popular than Robin today: about 3,477 US babies were given the name Parker in 2025, compared with 400 named Robin.
Robin means Bright fame (English origin), while Parker means Park keeper (English origin).
In US records, Robin first appears in 1904 and Parker in 1880, so Parker has the longer recorded history.