Names That Mean Fame

Rupert is a charming-yet-manly name long more popular in Britain (where it's attached to a beloved cartoon bear) than in the U.S. Yet we can see Rupert as a more stylish, modern way to honor an ancestral Robert.

Now that it's no longer fashionable for girls, Robin is rising for boys again. Robin Hood, Robin Williams, Christopher Robin, and Robin the Boy Wonder are all male namesakes, after all. It reentered the US Top 1000 boys names in 2015 for the first time since 1999 and continues to bounce around the lower end of the Top 1000.

Robert was derived from the ancient Germanic name Hrodebert, from the elements hrod, meaning "fame" and bertha, "bright." Robert was the name of three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce, who freed Scotland from English rule. The name was brought to England by the Normans.

Sounded bright and chirpy in the fifties and ranked in the Top 100 until 1980, but by now Robin has lost traction. Robin is, however, having something of a style comeback for boys.

Bobby is the quintessential mid-century nickname, the name of the son on Mad Men and overused to the point of cliche. Though Robert is still a highly popular choice, most Roberts today are called by their full name or Rob or Robbie rather than Bob or Bobby.

Roberta has been one of the most successful feminization names, up at #64 in 1936. It's a name that's found all over children's lit, often nicknamed Bobbie or Robbie, though Bertie is another possibility. Notable bearers have included singers Roberta Flack and Roberta Peters--plus it's the birth name of Joni Mitchell.

Kids love Bob the Builder, but do they want to be Bob the Builder? Bob and Bobby have been out of style since the 1960s, but as vintage nickname-names -- Fred, Archie -- come back into vogue, Bob may tag along. Charlie Sheen used it for one of his twin sons.

Vintage nickname for Roberta or Barbara, most famously borne by Roberta "Bobbie" in Edith Nesbit's classic The Railway Children.

Diminutive of Robert, borne by famous figures from Robbie Williams to Robbie Coltrane.

A long-haired classical conductor name, which could appeal to parents looking for a Laszlo-like appellation. This is an old and common name with many spelling variations. Stanislaw Lem was a noted Polish science fiction writer and philosopher, Stanislav Ianevski is the Bulgarian actor who played Viktor Krum in Harry Potter.

All varieties of Hob are antiquated nicknames for Robert, though this one is saddled with the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon association.

Worn by several medieval troubadours, this name is still used in French, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Related to other stylish choices from Roman to Romy to Romeo, Rohmer is a German surname that relates to both Roman pilgrims and the root word for fame. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach chose this version for their son. The couple's film Margot at the Wedding was an homage to French New Wave director Eric Rohmer, who died a few month's before Rohmer Baumbach's birth. Like many other fashionable new German names for boys, Rohmer has two syllables and ends in -er.

The R in Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands for Robinette, the President's paternal grandmother's maiden name. In Medieval France, Robinette was used as a feminine given name derived from the male form Robinet and later became a matronymic surname via Robine.

Diminutive of Roberta, and a famous surname via actress Margot Robbie.

The visibility of actor Wilmer (That 70s Show) Valderrama has highlighted this name, but it's not likely to spread because of its similarity to the feminine (and dated) Wilma.

Rob has claimed Bob's turf.

This classic Robert nickname is starting to sound sweet again, along with ultra-retro Bobby.

Romer might be considered a streamlined spelling of the German surname Rohmer, whose root means fame or renown, or a name that was given to those who made pilgrimages to Rome, which is related to Romeo and its brothers. With the style value of other Rome names from Roman to Romy, this is one we predict we'll hear more of.

It can be a challenge for a girl to wear a masculine long-standing classic like Robert. (However, James has done pretty well for itself). A very small number of baby girls named Robert are recorded every year, although it's hard to say how many are the result of clerical error.