Toby is a given name in many English speaking countries. The name is derived the Middle English vernacular form of

Tobias Tobias is the transliteration of the , which is a Graecisation of the Hebrew biblical name . With the biblical Book of Tobit being present in the Deuterocanonical books and Biblical apocrypha, Tobias is a popular male given name for both Chri ...

. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates to ''Good is Yahweh''.

Yahweh Yahweh was an Ancient Semitic religion, ancient Semitic deity of Weather god, weather and List of war deities, war in the History of the ancient Levant, ancient Levant, the national god of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Judah, Judah and Kingdom ...

is the name of the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

God. It is also used as a contraction of Tobin, an Irish surname now also used as a forename. The name is traditionally masculine, but has also been in use for women since the

19th century The 19th century began on 1 January 1801 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 (MCM). It was the 9th century of the 2nd millennium. It was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was Abolitionism, ...

Men

* Toby Alderweireld (born 1989), Belgian professional football player * Toby Bailey (born 1975), American sports agent former professional basketball player *

Toby Balding Gerald Barnard Balding Jr. OBE (23 September 1936 – 25 September 2014), known as Toby Balding, was a British racehorse trainer, one of the few to have won the "big three" British jump races—the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and C ...

(1936–2014), British racehorse trainer * Toby Barker (born 1981), American politician *

Toby Barrett Theobald Butler "Toby" Barrett is a former Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the district of Haldimand—Norfolk for the Progressive Conservative Party from 1995 until 2022. Background Barre ...

(born 1945), Canadian politician * Edmund "Toby" Barton (1849–1920), first prime minister of Australia *

Toby Cadman Toby Cadman is a British international human rights lawyer, co-founder, and joint head of Guernica 37 Chambers, a London-based law firm specializing in international criminal and humanitarian law. He has experience in representing individuals ...

, British international lawyer *

Toby Colbeck Leonard George ("Toby") Colbeck (1 January 1884 – 3 January 1918) was an English first-class cricketer active from 1905–14, playing for Middlesex County Cricket Club, Middlesex. He was born in South Harrow. He died off the Cape of Good Hope ...

(1884–1918), English cricketer * Toby Cosgrove (born 1940), American surgeon *

Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, his first book, ''Too Much Ain't Enough'' a bio ...

(born 1955), Australian music journalist and writer *

Toby Fox Robert F. "Toby" Fox (born October 11, 1991) is an American video game developer and composer. He is best known for developing the role-playing video game ''Undertale'', which garnered acclaim and has received nominations for a British Academy ...

(born 1991), musician and video game designer * Tobias

Toby Gad Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a German music producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. He is known for co-writing songs including John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me", the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for ...

(born 1968), Los Angeles-based German music producer and songwriter * Toby Garbett (born 1976), British rower *

Toby Gerhart Tobin Bo Gunnar Gerhart (born March 28, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American ...

(born 1987), American National Football League player *

Toby Greene Toby Greene (born 25 September 1993) is a professional Australian rules footballer and the captain of the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the 11 ...

(born 1993), Australian rules footballer *

Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey Jonathan Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey (born 11 October 1953) is a Labour Party politician in the House of Lords. Family and education Harris was born in North London, the son of geneticist Professor Harry Harris and Muriel Harris ( ...

(born 1953), British Labour Party politician * Toby Gärnö Heikenen (1806–1887), Swedish mathematician * Gary

Toby Herald Gary Wayne "Toby" Herald (born July 4, 1953) is an American politician who represented District 91 in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019. Elections *2012 To challenge District 91 incumbent Democratic Repr ...

(born 1953), American politician *

Toby Howard Toby L. J. Howard is an Honorary Reader in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester in the UK. He was appointed Lecturer in 1985, and was Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department 2011–2019. He retired from ...

(born 1960), English academic *

Toby Howarth Toby Matthew Howarth (born 12 July 1962) is a Church of England bishop. He is the current and first area of Bishop of Bradford in the Diocese of Leeds. Howarth was educated at Yale University and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford; and ordained in 1990. He ...

(born 1962), Church of England bishop * Toby or

Theobald Jones Admiral Theobald Jones (15 April 1790 – 7 February 1868), also known as Toby Jones, was an Irish officer in the British Royal Navy, a Tory politician, a noted lichenologist, and a fossil-collector. The County Londonderry-born son of a Church ...

(1790–1868), Irish Royal Navy admiral, Tory politician, lichenologist and fossil collector *

Toby Jones Toby Edward Heslewood Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 7 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 ...

(born 1966), English actor *

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...

Covel (1961-2024), American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and actor * Toby King (born 1996), English rugby league player *

Toby Love Toby Love (born Octavio Rivera; January 16, 1984) is an American singer. Based on The Bronx, New York, he is best known for being a former member of Aventura before pursuing a solo career, mostly known for their 2002 album We Broke the Rules, ...

, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter *

TobyMac Kevin Michael McKeehan (born October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His road band is known as Diverse City. Widely regarded as one of the most ...

, American Christian hip-hop artist * Toby McGrath (born 1980), Australian rules footballer * Anthony Toby Moffett (born 1944), American politician * Toby Nankervis (born 1994), Australian rules footballer * Toby Ng (born 1985), Canadian badminton player *

Toby Orenstein Toby Barbara Orenstein (née Press; born May 23, 1937) is an American theatrical director, producer, and educator. She has two honorable mentions for the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. Orenstein was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hal ...

(born 1937), American theatre founder, producer, and director * Toby Peirce (born 1973), English retired cricketer *

Sir Alfred Rawlinson, 3rd Baronet Colonel (United Kingdom), Colonel Sir Alfred "Toby" Rawlinson, 3rd Baronet, (17 January 1867 – 1 June 1934) was an English soldier and intelligence officer, sportsman, pioneer motorist and aviator. Early life Rawlinson was the second son of ...

, nicknamed “Toby“ (1867–1934), English sportsman and intelligence officer * Toby Regbo (born 1991), English actor * Toby Riddle (1848–1920), Modoc woman, U.S. Army interpreter * Toby Sheldon (1980-2015), a Justin Bieber look-alike *

Toby Smith (rugby union) Toby James Smith (born 10 October 1988) is a retired Australian rugby union player. He played prop for the Chiefs, Rebels and in Super Rugby, and for the Australian national rugby union team internationally. Playing career Waikato Smith be ...

(born 1988), Australian rugby union footballer *

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film '' Die Another Day'', for whic ...

(born 1969), English actor * Toby Stevenson (athlete) (born 1976), American retired pole vaulter *

Toby Tiangco Tobias Reynald Marcelo Tiangco (born November 21, 1967) is a Filipino businessman and politician currently serving as congressman for Navotas' Legislative district of Navotas#Lone District, lone district since 2022, position he previously held fr ...

(born 1967), Filipino politician * Toby Toman, British rock drummer * Tobias

Toby Turner Tobias Joseph Turner (born March 3, 1985), also known by his stage name Tobuscus, is an American Internet personality, actor, and musician. Originally from Osborn, Mississippi, he is best known for his YouTube videos including vlogs, Let's Pla ...

(born 1985), American internet personality, actor, comedian and musician * Toby Weathersby (born 1996), American football player *

Toby Wilkinson Toby Alexander Howard Wilkinson, (born 1969) is an English Egyptologist and academic. After studying Egyptology at the University of Cambridge, he was Lady Wallis Budge Research Fellow in Egyptology at Christ's College, Cambridge (1993 to 199 ...

(born 1969), English Egyptologist and academic *

Toby Wright Toby Wright is an American record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, KISS, Sevendust and Korn. Credits Producer * 3rd Strike - '' Lost Angel'' * 8stops7 - ''In Moderation'' *Alice in Ch ...

, record producer and mixing engineer *

Toby Wright (American football) Toby Lin Wright (born November 19, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins. He played college football for the ...

(born 1970), American retired National Football League player *

Toby Young Toby Daniel Moorsom Young, Baron Young of Acton (born 17 October 1963), is a British social commentator and life peer. He is the founder and director of the Free Speech Union, an associate editor of ''The Spectator'', creator of '' The Daily S ...

(born 1963), British journalist

Women

* Toby Lerner Ansin (born 1941), American founder of the Miami City Ballet * Toby Buonagurio, American artist * Toby Claude (1877-1962), Irish actress and singer in vaudeville * Toby Dancer (1953-2004), Canadian pianist and music producer * Toby Fine (1932-2010), South African ballet dancer * Toby Knobel Fluek (1926-2011), American Jewish artist born in Poland *

Toby Fournier Toby Lee Fournier (born October 3, 2005) is a Canadian college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Early life and high school career Fournier competed in the long jump, ballet, association football, ...

(born 2005), Canadian college basketball player * Toby T. Gati (born 1946), American government official *

Toby Hendy Toby Hendy (born 11 July 1995), known online as Tibees, is a New Zealand science communicator and YouTuber who focuses on educational content relating to physics, mathematics and astronomy. Early life and education School Hendy attended Ka ...

(born 1995), New Zealand science communicator and YouTuber *

Toby Kiers Toby Kiers is an American evolutionary biologist who is a University Research Chair and professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Kiers pioneered an economic interpretation of the interactions and exchanges between plants, fungi and microbes in ...

(born 1976), American evolutionary biologist *

Toby Leung Toby Leung Ching-kei ( zh, 梁靖琪; born 27 February 1983) is Cantopop singer and actress from Hong Kong. She entered the music industry in 2004 when the MusicNationGroup discovered her talent. Together with Macy Chan, Elise Liu (廖雋嘉) ...

(born 1983), Cantopop singer and actress from Hong Kong * Toby Lightman (born 1978), American singer-songwriter *

(born 1937), American theatrical director, producer, and educator * Toby Riddle (1848-1920), Modoc interpreter *

Toby Robins Toby Robins (March 13, 1931 – March 21, 1986) was a Canadians, Canadian actress of film, stage and television. Robins starred in hundreds of radio and stage productions in Canada from the late 1940s through the 1960s, working with such perform ...

(1931-1986), Canadian actress of film, stage and television *

Toby Saks Toby Saks (January 8, 1942 – August 1, 2013) was an American cellist, the founder of the Seattle Chamber Music Society and a member of the New York Philharmonic. Music history Born in New York City to an immigrant family, Saks began music less ...

(1942-2013), American cellist *

Toby Ann Stavisky Toby Ann Stavisky (née Goldhaar, born June 26, 1939) is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Senate, having held a seat since 1999. She represents the 11th district, which comprises parts of Queens. Life and career ...

(born 1939), American politician *

Toby Tarnow Toby Tarnow (born June 15, 1937, in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian actress. She was the first actress to portray the popular Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables in Canadian radio then in Canadian television in a 1956 televis ...

(born 1937), Canadian actress * Toby Tse (born 2004), Hong Kong professional squash player *

Toby Wing Toby Wing (born Martha Virginia Wing; July 14, 1915 – March 22, 2001), "Toby" being an old family nickname, was an American actress and showgirl, once called "the most beautiful chorus girl in Hollywood". Early years Wing was born in Am ...

(1915-2001), American actress and showgirl

Fictional characters

Sir Toby Belch Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's ...

, from Shakespeare's play ''Twelfth Night'' *

Toby Cavanaugh ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King for Freeform. It is based on Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name. Some of the characters appeared in the spin-off shows '' Pretty Dirty ...

, in the second book of the ''Pretty Little Liars'' series and a recurring character on the TV series of the same name * Toby Damon, on the TV series ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American drama television series created by Dan Fogelman that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents and their three children in several different ti ...

'' *

Toby Flenderson ''The Office'' is an American television series based on the British television comedy of the same name. The format of the series is a parody of the fly on the wall documentary technique that intersperses traditional situation comedy segments ...

, on the TV series ''The Office'' * Toby Hamee, from the ''Animorphs'' books by K. A. Applegate *

Toby Isaacs '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the fourth entry of the '' Degrassi'' television franchise created by Schuyler and Kit H ...

, on the TV series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' * Toby Mangel, on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' *

Toby Mills Toby Mills is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Henry Luxemburg. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 25 October 2001. Toby is introduced into the series as a university student a ...

, on the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' * Toby Mitchell, protagonist of the 1960s Canadian TV series ''

Toby Toby is a given name in many English-speaking world, English speaking countries. The name is derived the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates t ...

'' * Toby Tyler, protagonist of the children's novel ''

Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus ''Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus'' is a children's novel by "James Otis", the pen name of James Otis Kaler. Summary ''Toby Tyler'' tells the story of a ten-year-old orphan who runs away from a foster home to join the traveling circus o ...

'' and the film adaptation ''Toby Tyler'' * Toby Waller, the slave name of

Kunta Kinte Kunta Kinte ( ) is the main character from the 1976 novel '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' by American author Alex Haley. Kunta Kinte was based on family oral tradition accounts of one of Haley's ancestors, a Gambian man who was born ...

in the Alex Haley novel ''Roots'' and the television adaptation *

Toby Ziegler Tobias "Toby" Zachary Ziegler was a fictional character in the television serial drama ''The West Wing'', played by Richard Schiff. The role of Toby Ziegler earned actor Richard Schiff the Primetime Emmy Award for Primetime Emmy Award for Outst ...

, the White House Communications Director in the TV series ''The West Wing'' *

Toby the Tram Engine Started in 1945 and concluded in 2011, ''The Railway Series'' is a series of 42 British books written by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry. This is a list of all characters who appeared in the book series. Unless otherwise said on ...

, from ''

The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Sodor (fictional island), Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by Wi ...

and'' ''

Thomas & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, the series was developed for ...

'' * Uncle Toby, in the novel ''

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'', also known as ''Tristram Shandy'', is a humorous novel by Laurence Sterne. It was published in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next sev ...

'' *Toby, a dog in traditional British

Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other ...

puppet shows * Toby the Pup, in theatrical cartoons during 1930 and 1931 *

, on the animated series ''Beyblade: Metal Masters'' * Toby, partial bloodhound in the Sherlock Holmes tale "

The Sign of Four ''The Sign of the Four'', also called ''The Sign of Four'', is an 1890 detective novel, and it is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes by British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle wrote four novels and 56 short stories featuring ...

" * Toby, the anthropomorphic cactus in the children's TV series ''

Sheriff Callie's Wild West ''Sheriff Callie's Wild West'' is an American animated children's television series created by George Evelyn, Holly Huckins, and Denis Morella, the creators of '' Higglytown Heroes'', for Disney Jr. The series borrows elements from the Western g ...

'' * Toby, the invisible demonic entity in the horror film '' Paranormal Activity 3'' * Toby, the baby in the film ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

'' * Toby, the boy in the film ''

Astro Boy ''Astro Boy'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 volumes by Akita Shoten. Da ...

References

{{reflist English masculine given names Masculine given names Unisex given names Hypocorisms Nicknames