How Many People Are Named Obe?
An estimated 5 people in the United States have the first name Obe. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 89 years old, and Obe peaked in popularity in 1916 with 9 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Obe as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Obe paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 89, Obe is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1947.
- Obe is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
5
About 1 in 68,550,868 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
100.0% confidence
Average Age
89
years old
Peak Year
1916
9 births
Total Registered
73
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Obe
Obe is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 73 total births registered, 100.0% were male.
Obe as a male name
Ranked #3,571 in 1948
6 male births in 1948
Peak: 1916 (9 births)
Obe in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 123 people with the first name Obe, which placed it at #49,815 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Obe was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 123 people with this name in that snapshot, 78.9% were male and 21.1% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% male.
Census Count
123
people with this name
Census Rank
#49,815
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.04
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Obe was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (40.00%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (26.67%) and Black (25.00%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Obe in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Obe.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 40.00% | 48 |
| Hispanic | 26.67% | 32 |
| Black | 25.00% | 30 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 5.83% | 7 |
| Two or More Races | 2.50% | 3 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Obe: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Obe span from the 1880s to the 1940s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 35 babies were registered. Obe has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Obe by Decade
How has Obe tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Obe + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Obe as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Obe
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
Obe: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Obe?
We estimate approximately 5 people named Obe are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 68,550,868 Americans share this first name.
Is Obe a common name?
Obe is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 18.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 73 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Obe most popular?
Obe reached peak popularity in 1916, when 9 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Obe is approximately 89 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Obe in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 123 people with the first name Obe. That placed it at #49,815 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.04 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Obe was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Obe?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Obe was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 78.9% male and 21.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Obe?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Obe was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (40.00%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (26.67%) and Black (25.00%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Obe a male name?
Obe is predominantly male. 100.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Obe have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Obe peaked in 1916, and the average living bearer is about 89 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Obe Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Obe Smith, Obe Johnson, Obe Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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