How to say it
to · BI · as
/toʊˈbaɪ.əs/
Masculine
Tobias
God is good
What it means
The Greek form of the Hebrew Toviyah, 'the Lord is good.'
Tobias is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Toviyah, 'God is good.' It belongs to the young hero of the Book of Tobit, whose journey with the archangel Raphael made the name popular in medieval and especially German and Scandinavian Christianity. It reads scholarly and warm at once, and almost everyone shortens it to the friendly Toby. It keeps company with Elias, Silas, and the other long biblical boys' names back in style.
Popularity over time
peaked at #246 in 2016, currently #283 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Toby is the near-universal short form.
- Pop culture
From the Book of Tobit; on the lighter side, Tobias Fünke of Arrested Development.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Tobias the young traveler at the center of the Book of Tobit
- Tobias Fünke the hapless analyst-turned-actor of Arrested Development
Spelling variants
- Tobiah
- Toby
- Tobias
Names with the same feeling
See Tobias from another angle
By meaning
By style