Robinette

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.

Despite its French origins, the given name and surname are more common in the United States. However, the last time Robinette charted as a first name was in 1990 when it was given to seven baby girls.

Robinette is also given to girls.

Pronounced rob-in-ET.

As of October 2026, Robinette ranked #11094 in US births in 1990 SSA, peaked at #1962 in 1956.