Obi
Boy name · #3831 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Obi? In official American birth records, Obi has been tracked continuously since 2007, giving it 18 years of documented American history.
Obi ranks #3831 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 29 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #7491, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 62,069 boys born in 2025 was named Obi.
Babies named Obi per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 18-year story
Obi first appears in the Social Security records in 2007, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 37 babies and a rank of #3216. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Obi against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Obi in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Obi is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Obi will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Obi is most common
State-level data for Obi is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Obi
Statistically, parents drawn to Obi tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tobi, Rai, Opie, Roi, and Jakobi.
TobiRaiOpieRoiJakobiKoiNoriOak
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Obi | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #3757 |
| 2024 | 29 | #3793 |
| 2023 | 37 | #3228 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3216 |
| 2021 | 35 | #3297 |
| 2020 | 14 | #5980 |
| 2019 | 15 | #5813 |
| 2018 | 12 | #6703 |
| 2017 | 10 | #7546 |
| 2016 | 7 | #9664 |
| 2015 | 10 | #7491 |
| 2014 | 12 | #6632 |
| 2013 | 11 | #7026 |
| 2011 | 6 | #10808 |
| 2010 | 8 | #8803 |
| 2009 | 14 | #6095 |
| 2008 | 6 | #11037 |
| 2007 | 7 | #9788 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Obi?
In official American birth records, the name Obi first appeared in 2007 (over 18 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 18 years.
Is Obi a popular boy name?
Obi ranked #3831 among boys in 2025 with 29 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #7491.
When was the name Obi most popular?
Obi peaked in 2022, when 37 American boys received the name (ranked #3216 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Obi?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 62,069 newborn American boys was named Obi. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.