UK boy's name
Roberts
From the Germanic name Rodbert meaning "bright fame".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Roberts is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Roberts popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 19 births.
This profile covers 130 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 16% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 136 living people in the UK are called Roberts. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Roberts ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 19 boys were registered as Roberts.
- • Roberts ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #701 in 2019.
- • About 136 living people in the UK are estimated to have Roberts as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2015
19 births
Estimated living
136
2026
Meaning
What does Roberts mean?
The name Roberts is an English name derived from the Germanic elements "rod" meaning "bright" and "berht" meaning "famous." It emerged as a given name in the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roberts can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical record, several individuals with the name Roberts are mentioned, indicating the name's usage during the Norman period.
The name Roberts has a strong association with religious figures throughout history. One notable example is Saint Robert of Molesme, a French Benedictine monk who lived from around 1028 to 1111 and played a pivotal role in the founding of the Cistercian order.
Another famous bearer of the name was Robert Grosseteste, an English statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian, and Bishop of Lincoln, who lived from around 1175 to 1253. He is renowned for his influential works on natural philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual life of medieval England.
In the realm of literature, Robert Browning, an English poet and playwright born in 1812 and died in 1889, is celebrated for his dramatic monologues and innovative poetic style. His works, such as "My Last Duchess" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," have left an indelible mark on English literature.
The name Roberts has also been associated with royalty and leadership. Robert the Bruce, born in 1274 and died in 1329, was the King of Scots who famously led the Scots to victory over the English in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another notable figure is Robert Clive, an officer in the British East India Company, born in 1725 and died in 1774. He played a significant role in establishing British control over much of the Indian subcontinent and is often referred to as the "conqueror of India."
These examples showcase the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the name Roberts throughout the centuries, highlighting its enduring popularity and significance across various cultures and eras.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Roberts over time
The chart below shows babies named Roberts registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Roberts, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roberts by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Roberts was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4055 | 18 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2212 | 98 | 9 |
| 2000s | #3218 | 14 | 3 |
Geography
Where Roberts is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Roberts. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Roberts ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #701 in 2019.
Across the UK
Roberts in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#701 in 2019
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Roberts
-
Roberts Leyland
botanical collector; botanist; curator; printer
British botanist (1784 - 1847)
1784-1847
Related
Names similar to Roberts
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Roberts: questions and answers
How popular is the name Roberts in the UK right now?
In 2024, Roberts was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Roberts most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 19 babies registered as Roberts in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Roberts?
From the Germanic name Rodbert meaning "bright fame".
How many people are called Roberts in the UK?
A total of 130 babies have been registered as Roberts across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Roberts most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Roberts ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #701 in 2019. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.