Obi
How to say it: OH-bee · /ˈoʊbi/
Igbo 'heart'; short for Obinna and others - common Nigerian male name, also known from Star Wars Obi-Wan.
Obi was the 3,020th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 29 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.3-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,821 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #3,020 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 29 |
| Share of births | 1 in 114,322 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.3 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,821 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,436 among boys’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Obi is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Obi is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English.
In France: #2,436 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Obi
- Obi Toppin (born 1998)American basketball player
- Obi Ikechukwu Charles (born 1985)Nigerian footballer
- Obi NwakanmaNigerian poet
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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