Pronunciation | UK English /ˈrɒb.ɪn/, American English /ˈrɑb.ɪn/ |
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Gender | Unisex (Originally only male) |
Origin | |
Word/name | France, Germany |
Meaning | "Fame-bright", diminutive |
Other names | |
Related names | Robinson, Robbin, Robine, Roben, Robyn, Robbyn, Robben, Robert |
[1] |
Robin is a unisex given name and a surname. It was originally a diminutive masculine given name or nickname of Robert, derived from the prefix Ro- (hrod, Old Germanic, meaning "fame" and berht, meaning "bright"), and the suffix -in (Old French diminutive). In Europe, although it is sometimes regarded as a feminine name, it is generally given to boys. In 2014, 88% of babies named Robin in England were boys.[2] In the United States, it used to be more popular as a feminine name—during the 1990s, for example, it was the 325th most popular name for girls and the 693rd most popular name for boys. However the gap has been narrowing and recently the number of baby boys and baby girls named Robin in United States has been roughly similar (as visualized in the adjacent chart).[3] In 2014 46% of babies named Robin in United States were boys, which is about three times that figure in 1990.[3]
There are several common variations, including Robyn, Robbin, Robine, Robyne, Robynne, and Robbyn.[4] Robin has its origin in France and is also a very common surname in France. Robin is occasionally found as a surname in English-speaking countries. Common nicknames are Rob, Robbie or Bobby.[1] Robin may refer to: