UK boy's name
Thobias
A masculine name derived from a Phoenician term meaning "God is good".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Thobias is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Thobias popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2018 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Thobias is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Thobias. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Thobias ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 3 boys were registered as Thobias.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Thobias as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4749
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Thobias mean?
The name Thobias is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Tobiah, which means "the goodness of God" or "God is good." It is derived from the Hebrew words "tov" meaning good and "Yah" referring to God. The name can be traced back to the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, where it is mentioned as the name of a Levite who helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Thobias was Thobias, son of Ananias, a Jewish leader mentioned in the apocryphal book of Tobit, which dates back to around the 3rd century BCE. In this book, Thobias embarks on a journey guided by the archangel Raphael, and his story is used to illustrate the themes of divine providence and the virtues of faith, prayer, and charity.
During the Middle Ages, the name Thobias was used by several notable figures, including Thobias of Bec (c. 1035-1100), a Norman Benedictine monk and scholar who served as the abbot of Bec Abbey in Normandy. Another prominent individual was Thobias of Paderborn (c. 1180-1250), a German Dominican friar and theologian who wrote extensively on the interpretation of Scripture.
In the Renaissance period, the name Thobias was borne by the Dutch Renaissance humanist Thobias Michaelis (1535-1624), who was known for his translations of classical Greek and Latin texts. Another notable figure was the German mathematician and astronomer Thobias Mayer (1723-1762), who made significant contributions to the study of lunar motion and the calculation of longitude.
In the 19th century, the name Thobias was used by the British painter Thobias Wright (1795-1868), known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in England. Another individual with this name was the American lawyer and politician Thobias Lear (1762-1816), who served as a personal secretary to George Washington and later became a diplomat and land speculator.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Thobias throughout history, and while it is not a common name today, it carries a rich cultural and religious heritage that spans centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Thobias by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Thobias 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4749 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Thobias
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Thobias: questions and answers
How popular is the name Thobias in the UK right now?
In 2018, Thobias was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Thobias most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 3 babies registered as Thobias in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Thobias?
A masculine name derived from a Phoenician term meaning "God is good".
How many people are called Thobias in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Thobias across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.