Obed
About Obed
This quirky Old Testament name has potential, as parents are digging deeper into the Bible to find names for their children. It has also been used as a nickname for Obediah.
In the Old Testament, Obed was the son of Ruth and Boaz and the grandfather of David.
Pronounced OH-bed.
As of October 2026, Obed ranked #2072 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #883 in 1880.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,649 | 94 | 48.9 |
| 2015 | #1,750 | 88 | 45.9 |
| 2016 | #1,650 | 97 | 51.1 |
| 2017 | #2,182 | 62 | 33.5 |
| 2018 | #1,989 | 74 | 40.7 |
| 2019 | #2,122 | 68 | 37.9 |
| 2020 | #2,087 | 68 | 39.4 |
| 2021 | #1,862 | 83 | 47.4 |
| 2022 | #1,883 | 84 | 48.1 |
| 2023 | #1,888 | 84 | 49.1 |
| 2024 | #1,945 | 81 | 47 |
| 2025 | #2,072 | 72 | 42.2 |
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Obed on lists
Famous Obeds
- Obed
Biblical figure, son of Ruth and grandfather of King David
- Obed
valiant man in King David's armies (1 Chr. 11:47)
- Obed
son of Ephlal, father of Jehu, descendant of Judah (1 Chr. 2:38)
- Obed
father of Azariah, a captain of hundreds (2 Chr. 23:1)
- Obed Yao Asamoah
former foreign minister and Attorney General of Ghana
- Obed Macy
American physician, hotelier and pioneer in Los Angeles County, California along with his son Oscar Macy