Fun Facts About the Name Hobbs
- 32 babies named Hobbs: U.S. records list 32 babies given the name Hobbs from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Hobbs Mean?
Hobbs is an English surname of patronymic origin. It means "son of Hobb," formed from the Middle English personal name Hobbe plus a genitive -s, the ending that marked descent from a father.
Hobbe itself was a common medieval pet form of Robert. It arose by dropping the first letter of Rob, a short form of Robert, to make Hob - the same reshaping that turned Roger into Hodge and Richard into Hick. The final -e served as a diminutive ending, and adding -s produced the surname. Robert descends from Old French, ultimately from a Germanic name built on hrōþi, "fame," and berht, "bright." That older meaning belongs to Robert rather than to Hobbs, whose literal sense is simply "son of Hobb."
Hobbs Name History & Origins
Surnames of the "son of" type ending in -s became fixed in England during the later Middle Ages, roughly the 13th to 15th centuries. Hobbs belongs to that group, alongside Hobson (Hobb's son), Hobbins, and the related Hopkins, which joins Hob to the diminutive -kin. Because Hobbe was such a common byname for Robert, the surnames formed from it were widespread, especially in southern and western England.
Spelling in early records varies, and forms such as Hobbes and Hobbys appear alongside Hobbs. The philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679) used the form with a final e; the two spellings have never been sharply separated. The surname was carried to North America by English settlers. As a given name, Hobbs is rare and is largely a transferred use of the surname.
How Popular is the Name Hobbs?
Hobbs has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #9,049 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,217 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #12,982 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,927 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #9,049 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,244 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Hobbs Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Hobbs's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hobbs's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.