Fun Facts About the Name Roberta
- A favorite of earlier generations: Roberta appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 18 years. Its last run lasted 5 consecutive years, from 1949 through 1953.
- More than 172 thousand babies named Roberta: U.S. records list 172,328 babies given the name Roberta from 1880 through 2025. Even 782 boys received the name Roberta - about 1 boy for every 219 girls.
What Does the Name Roberta Mean?
Roberta is the feminine form of Robert, a Germanic name meaning "bright fame." The masculine name comes from the Old High German Hruodperht (also recorded as Hrodebert), formed from hruod "fame, glory" and berht "bright, shining." Those same elements lie behind the Old French Robert, which English adopted after the Norman Conquest. Roberta adds the feminine ending -a to Robert, so its literal sense is "fame-bright" or "bright in fame," usually rendered simply as "bright fame." It is not a separately derived name with a different root; in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and English, it is the standard feminine counterpart to Robert.
Roberta Name History & Origins
Robert was introduced to England by the Normans and became common in medieval England. The feminine Roberta developed later by adding the common Romance feminine ending -a to the established masculine name. It appears as Roberta in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese and as Roberte in French. In English, Roberta is the regular feminine form of Robert and is often shortened to Bobbie or Robbie. A later literary use is the title of the 1933 musical Roberta and its 1935 film adaptation; this is a use of the name, not its origin.
How Popular is the Name Roberta?
Roberta recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1953. Roberta ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1935 through 1947, then returned in 1949 and remained through 1953.
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 | #2,809 | 61 | 0.0038% |
| 2024 | #2,760 | 62 | 0.0038% |
| 2023 | #2,727 | 64 | 0.0040% |
| 2022 | #2,679 | 65 | 0.0040% |
| 2021 | #3,327 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 2020 | #3,663 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 2019 | #2,885 | 58 | 0.0035% |
| 2018 | #2,896 | 58 | 0.0034% |
| 2017 | #3,008 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 2016 | #2,821 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2015 | #2,840 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 2014 | #2,677 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 2013 | #3,688 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2012 | #2,998 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 2011 | #2,901 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 2010 | #3,560 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2009 | #4,085 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #3,841 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2007 | #3,022 | 59 | 0.0031% |
| 2006 | #2,721 | 66 | 0.0035% |
| 2005 | #2,999 | 54 | 0.0029% |
| 2004 | #3,317 | 46 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #3,455 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2002 | #2,490 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2001 | #2,282 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 2000 | #2,368 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 1999 | #2,048 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 1998 | #1,798 | 87 | 0.0049% |
| 1997 | #1,649 | 96 | 0.0055% |
| 1996 | #1,502 | 108 | 0.0062% |
| 1995 | #1,480 | 108 | 0.0061% |
| 1994 | #1,387 | 119 | 0.0067% |
| 1993 | #1,177 | 149 | 0.0082% |
| 1992 | #1,098 | 164 | 0.0089% |
| 1991 | #989 | 190 | 0.0101% |
| 1990 | #942 | 202 | 0.0106% |
| 1989 | #820 | 232 | 0.0126% |
| 1988 | #857 | 209 | 0.0117% |
| 1987 | #700 | 261 | 0.0150% |
| 1986 | #649 | 284 | 0.0166% |
| 1985 | #642 | 290 | 0.0169% |
| 1984 | #581 | 315 | 0.0187% |
| 1983 | #552 | 335 | 0.0201% |
| 1982 | #495 | 412 | 0.0243% |
| 1981 | #464 | 462 | 0.0277% |
| 1980 | #444 | 481 | 0.0290% |
| 1979 | #423 | 494 | 0.0308% |
| 1978 | #393 | 529 | 0.0345% |
| 1977 | #373 | 575 | 0.0375% |
| 1976 | #347 | 617 | 0.0421% |
| 1975 | #332 | 670 | 0.0460% |
| 1974 | #292 | 820 | 0.0559% |
| 1973 | #282 | 867 | 0.0595% |
| 1972 | #270 | 978 | 0.0643% |
| 1971 | #253 | 1,169 | 0.0703% |
| 1970 | #228 | 1,375 | 0.0787% |
| 1969 | #207 | 1,507 | 0.0893% |
| 1968 | #206 | 1,491 | 0.0909% |
| 1967 | #195 | 1,620 | 0.0981% |
| 1966 | #180 | 1,819 | 0.1075% |
| 1965 | #167 | 2,129 | 0.1206% |
| 1964 | #172 | 2,277 | 0.1202% |
| 1963 | #169 | 2,323 | 0.1205% |
| 1962 | #159 | 2,531 | 0.1287% |
| 1961 | #162 | 2,561 | 0.1269% |
| 1960 | #149 | 2,843 | 0.1406% |
| 1959 | #142 | 3,079 | 0.1522% |
| 1958 | #133 | 3,302 | 0.1641% |
| 1957 | #121 | 3,707 | 0.1813% |
| 1956 | #116 | 3,866 | 0.1926% |
| 1955 | #113 | 3,782 | 0.1934% |
| 1954 | #102 | 4,043 | 0.2082% |
| 1953 | #90 | 4,299 | 0.2285% |
| 1952 | #88 | 4,228 | 0.2280% |
| 1951 | #92 | 3,979 | 0.2209% |
| 1950 | #96 | 3,630 | 0.2119% |
| 1949 | #97 | 3,660 | 0.2139% |
| 1948 | #101 | 3,667 | 0.2160% |
| 1947 | #90 | 4,261 | 0.2404% |
| 1946 | #86 | 4,016 | 0.2556% |
| 1945 | #75 | 3,601 | 0.2755% |
| 1944 | #70 | 3,744 | 0.2821% |
| 1943 | #66 | 4,169 | 0.2988% |
| 1942 | #66 | 4,105 | 0.3039% |
| 1941 | #72 | 3,396 | 0.2811% |
| 1940 | #71 | 3,431 | 0.3000% |
| 1939 | #71 | 3,409 | 0.3109% |
| 1938 | #73 | 3,547 | 0.3215% |
| 1937 | #66 | 3,568 | 0.3353% |
| 1936 | #64 | 3,467 | 0.3332% |
| 1935 | #77 | 3,180 | 0.3033% |
| 1934 | #104 | 2,371 | 0.2271% |
| 1933 | #112 | 2,039 | 0.2023% |
| 1932 | #109 | 2,243 | 0.2102% |
| 1931 | #121 | 1,955 | 0.1836% |
| 1930 | #125 | 1,952 | 0.1734% |
| 1929 | #126 | 1,971 | 0.1765% |
| 1928 | #127 | 1,923 | 0.1667% |
| 1927 | #122 | 2,232 | 0.1872% |
| 1926 | #135 | 1,877 | 0.1583% |
| 1925 | #147 | 1,759 | 0.1445% |
| 1924 | #147 | 1,772 | 0.1419% |
| 1923 | #152 | 1,658 | 0.1374% |
| 1922 | #150 | 1,659 | 0.1381% |
| 1921 | #148 | 1,732 | 0.1405% |
| 1920 | #144 | 1,636 | 0.1365% |
| 1919 | #144 | 1,552 | 0.1373% |
| 1918 | #142 | 1,680 | 0.1451% |
| 1917 | #149 | 1,426 | 0.1319% |
| 1916 | #155 | 1,313 | 0.1257% |
| 1915 | #161 | 1,156 | 0.1175% |
| 1914 | #158 | 921 | 0.1209% |
| 1913 | #155 | 755 | 0.1209% |
| 1912 | #157 | 693 | 0.1242% |
| 1911 | #171 | 441 | 0.1054% |
| 1910 | #164 | 433 | 0.1092% |
| 1909 | #171 | 353 | 0.1017% |
| 1908 | #190 | 296 | 0.0885% |
| 1907 | #188 | 291 | 0.0913% |
| 1906 | #202 | 233 | 0.0789% |
| 1905 | #196 | 243 | 0.0833% |
| 1904 | #209 | 211 | 0.0766% |
| 1903 | #206 | 205 | 0.0783% |
| 1902 | #227 | 176 | 0.0666% |
| 1901 | #223 | 165 | 0.0689% |
| 1900 | #225 | 199 | 0.0664% |
| 1899 | #234 | 140 | 0.0601% |
| 1898 | #247 | 144 | 0.0556% |
| 1897 | #250 | 130 | 0.0555% |
| 1896 | #271 | 113 | 0.0475% |
| 1895 | #242 | 130 | 0.0556% |
| 1894 | #255 | 116 | 0.0520% |
| 1893 | #304 | 82 | 0.0385% |
| 1892 | #293 | 86 | 0.0405% |
| 1891 | #262 | 88 | 0.0474% |
| 1890 | #264 | 91 | 0.0478% |
| 1889 | #280 | 73 | 0.0409% |
| 1888 | #269 | 74 | 0.0414% |
| 1887 | #265 | 64 | 0.0438% |
| 1886 | #243 | 72 | 0.0498% |
| 1885 | #302 | 45 | 0.0338% |
| 1884 | #265 | 55 | 0.0426% |
| 1883 | #264 | 48 | 0.0427% |
| 1882 | #299 | 35 | 0.0325% |
| 1881 | #250 | 41 | 0.0446% |
| 1880 | #270 | 34 | 0.0374% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | #5,720 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #6,291 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #6,559 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,638 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #4,876 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,096 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,510 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #5,367 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #3,794 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #6,864 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,817 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #4,682 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #4,536 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #3,981 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #3,889 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #2,380 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1969 | #2,829 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #3,312 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #2,942 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,597 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #2,737 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #3,236 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #2,508 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #3,005 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,865 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,835 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,538 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #2,005 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #2,357 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #2,760 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #1,961 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #2,911 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #2,503 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1952 | #3,058 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #3,648 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #2,182 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #3,627 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #2,755 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #2,233 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1946 | #1,936 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1945 | #1,620 | 18 | 0.0013% |
| 1944 | #1,870 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1943 | #1,518 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1942 | #1,671 | 19 | 0.0014% |
| 1941 | #1,677 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #1,730 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1939 | #1,780 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1938 | #1,802 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1937 | #1,676 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #1,532 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1935 | #1,532 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1934 | #1,914 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1933 | #2,192 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1932 | #2,171 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1931 | #2,613 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1930 | #2,971 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1929 | #2,176 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1928 | #2,367 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1927 | #2,500 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1926 | #2,537 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1925 | #2,558 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1924 | #2,599 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1923 | #4,776 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #3,202 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1921 | #2,948 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1920 | #3,756 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #3,077 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1918 | #4,084 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #3,484 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1916 | #3,811 | 6 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #4,293 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1914 | #3,655 | 5 | 0.0008% |
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.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Roberta
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Roberta Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Roberta's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Roberta's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.