What does The name Bob first recorded?
Executive summary
The name "Bob" is not an original standalone name but a medieval English diminutive of Robert, which itself comes from the Old German Hrodebert meaning "bright fame" (elements hrod = fame, berht = bright) — this etymology appears across multiple name sources [1] [2] [3]. Sources agree that Bob arose as a shortening and rhyming variant of Rob (via Rob → Bob) and later became an independent familiar form with many famous bearers such as Bob Dylan and Bob Marley cited by name dictionaries [4] [2].
1. Bob began life as a nickname — not an original given name
Scholars and name dictionaries trace Bob to the hypocoristic process: Robert → Rob → Bob, a rhyming alteration common in Middle English practice. Wikipedia states Bob "most likely originated from the hypocorism Rob, short for Robert" and notes rhyming nicknames' medieval popularity [1]. Behind the Name shows Bob arose later than other medieval rhyming variants (Dob, Hob, Nob) as a short form of Robert [4].
2. Robert is the older source; its Germanic roots explain the meaning "bright fame"
Multiple etymologies connect Robert to Old High German Hrodebert, composed of elements meaning "fame" (hrod/hrōþiz) and "bright" (berht/beraht). Name histories explicitly derive Bob's meaning through Robert as "bright fame" or "famous glory" [2] [3] [5]. These consistent etymological claims anchor Bob’s semantic history in a Germanic compound that entered English via Norman influence [3].
3. How Bob emerged socially: rhyming diminutives and medieval nickname culture
Sources emphasize the medieval pattern of forming pet names by rhyming (Rob → Bob) and shortening formal names into familiar, everyday forms. Behind the Name frames Bob as one of several rhymed variants, and name-calendar and baby-name sites repeat that Bob "became a popular English nickname in the Middle Ages" [4] [6]. That social linguistic pattern explains why Bob exists as a widespread colloquial name long before modern registration practices.
4. Modern usage: from nickname to independent given name
Contemporary baby-name pages and databases treat Bob both as a diminutive and as an independent given name in their popularity statistics and lists. BabyCenter, Nameberry, BabyNames.com and similar sites list Bob’s origin as a form of Robert and give current popularity figures or rankings, showing it functions today as a standalone choice as well as a nickname [7] [8] [9]. Name aggregators also point to well-known public figures who solidified Bob as a recognizable personal name [2] [4].
5. Agreement among sources — and minor variations in framing
All supplied sources converge on the same core claims: Bob is a diminutive of Robert and Robert’s Germanic etymology yields "bright fame" [1] [2] [3]. Minor differences exist in wording or national origin labels — some sites say "English" or "British" origin for Bob as used in English-speaking contexts, while others emphasize the Germanic origin of Robert itself [8] [10] [7]. Those are framing choices, not substantive contradictions: Robert is Germanic; Bob became the English diminutive.
6. What the sources do not say (limits of the record)
Available sources do not mention a single, identifiable first historical person formally "named Bob" at the moment of the nickname’s origin. They do not provide archival birth- or baptismal-record evidence identifying the earliest recorded Bob as a standalone registered name; instead, reporting rests on linguistic history and literary attestations [4] [1]. If you seek a dated first documentary instance of "Bob" as a legal given name, that specific archival claim is not found in the current reporting.
7. Why this matters: names, identity and language change
The story of Bob shows how social speech habits (shortening, rhyming) transform formal names into intimate forms that can later stand alone. Sources repeatedly connect linguistic formation to cultural practice: medieval nickname play made Bob common; later literary and public figures normalized it as an independent label [4] [2]. Recognize that many modern "given names" began as informal speech choices, and Bob is a clear example documented by the consulted name authorities [1] [3].
If you want, I can compile the earliest literary citations (e.g., Dickens' Bob Cratchit is noted) or extract popularity trends from the baby-name pages to show when Bob moved from nickname to formal registration in English-language records (not found in the current sources without further digging) [4] [7].