Boy · Germanic · International
Robert
RobertSay it ROB-ert
- Meaning
- "bright with fame": Germanic hrod-, "fame, glory", and berht, "bright" Online Etymology Dictionary
- Say it
- ROB-ert
- Other spellings
- Robbert
Robert
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Robert meaning
Robert is an international boy's name of Germanic origin.
"bright with fame": Germanic hrod-, "fame, glory", and berht, "bright"
Robert comes from the Old High German name Hrodberht, which the Online Etymology Dictionary glosses as 'bright with fame': hrod- means fame or glory, and berht means bright, the same root as English 'bright'. It reached England through Norman French and became an English name, with pet forms such as Rob, Bob and Bobby; Rupert is its German form. Famous bearers include Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, and the poet Robert Frost. Baby-name lists give 'bright fame', which matches. It is said ROB-ert and suits Indian surnames well.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com) · entry Robert · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Robert · Online Etymology Dictionary, Rupert · Wikipedia, Robert the Bruce
Famous namesakes
- Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland
- Robert Frost, American poet
Popularity abroad
- #92 United States, boys 2025 (down 2 from 90 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #164 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Robert · Robbert