Bob is a male given name or a hypocorism, usually of Robert.
The name most likely originated from Rob. Rhyming names were popular in the Middle Ages, so Rick became Hick or Dick, Will became Gill or Bill, and Rob became Hob, Dob, Nob, or Bob.
The name Bob has shrunken in popularity in the past 60 years. In 1960, nearly 3,000 babies in the United States were given the name Bob, compared to fewer than 50 in 2000.
Politicians and businessmen A Bob Anderson (Canadian politician) (born 1939), former member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Bob Anthony (born 1948), member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Bob Arum (born 1931), American businessman and lawyer Bob Asher (born 1937), figure in Republican Pennsylvania politics Bob Ashley (born 1953), West Virginia State Senator Bob Avakian (born 1943), American communist politician
B Bob Ballinger (born 1974), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives Bob Barr (born 1948), former U.S. Representative from Georgia Bob Bartlett (1904–1968), U.S. Senator from Alaska Bob Bennett (politician) (1933–2016), U.S. Senator from Utah Bob Beaumont (1932–2011), American automobile businessman Bob Beauprez (born 1948), former U.S. Representative from Colorado Bob Beach (born 1959), West Virginia State Senator Bob Beers (born 1959), politician in Nevada Bob Benzen (born 1959), Canadian MP Bob Bergland (1928–2018), United States Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Representative from Minnesota Bob Bergren, member of the Montana House of Representatives Bob Bird (politician) (born 1951), politician in Alaska Bob Blackman (born 1956), British MP from Harrow East Bob Bland (born 1982), American activist Bob Born (1924-2023), American businessman Bob Bose (born 1932), former mayor of Surrey, British Columbia Bob Bowman, former treasurer of Michigan Bob Brady (born 1945), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania Bob Brogoitti (1920-2009), member of the Oregon House of Representatives Bob Brown (born 1944), Australian Senator from Tasmania Bob Brown (Australian Labor politician) (1933–2022), Australian MP from Hunter, New South Wales Bob Brown (Montana politician) (born 1947), former Montana Secretary of State Bob Bullock (1929–1999), Lieutenant Governor of Texas Bob Burns (born 1938), Arizona Corporation Commissioner
C Bob Carr (born 1947), former Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr (born 1943), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Bob Carr (Florida politician) (1899–1967), mayor of Orlando, Florida Bob Carruthers (politician), former member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Bob Casey Sr. (1932–2000), Governor of Pennsylvania Bob R. Casey (1915–1986), member of the U.S. House of Representatives Bob Casey Jr. (born 1960), US Senator from Pennsylvania Bob Cashell (1938–2020), Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and Mayor of Reno Bob Chappell (died 2009), Australian murder victim Bob Clement (born 1943), former member of the US House of Representatives Bob Coffin (born 1942), former Nevada State Senator Bob Collins (1946–2007), Australian Senator from the Northern Territory Bob Corbin (1922–2013), member of the Ohio House of Representatives Bob K. Corbin (1928–2025), former Arizona Attorney General Bob Corker (born 1952), U.S. Senator from Tennessee Bob Cortes (born 1963), member of the Florida House of Representatives Bob Cotton (1915–2006), Senator for New South Wales Bob Crowell (1945–2020), Mayor of Carson City, Nevada
D Bob Dadae (born 1961), Papua New Guinea politician Bob Davies (businessman) (born 1948), British businessman Bob Day (born 1952), Senator for South Australia Bob Dearing (1935–2020), Mississippi State Senator Bob Debus (born 1943), former MP from and Attorney General of New South Wales Bob Dechert (born 1958), Canadian politician Bob dela Cruz (born 1977), Filipino politician and contestant on Big Brother Bob Diamond (banker) (born 1951), British-born American banker Bob Dixon (born 1969), Missouri State Senator Bob Dold (born 1969), former U.S. Representative from Illinois Bob Dole (1923–2021), American senator and Presidential candidate Bob Dornan (born 1933), former U.S. Representative from California Bob Drewel (born 1946), former Snohomish County Executive Bob Duff (born 1971), Connecticut State Senator Bob Duffy (born 1954), former Lieutenant Governor of New York Bob Duynstee (1920–2014), member of the Dutch House of Representatives
E Bob Edgar (1943–2013), U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania Bob Ehrlich (born 1957), former governor of Maryland Bob England (racing driver) (1935–1985) Bob Etheridge (born 1941), former U.S. Representative from North Carolina Bob Ewing (born 1954), South Dakota state senator
F Bob Ferguson (politician) (born 1965), Attorney General of Washington Bob Filner (born 1942), former mayor of San Diego Bob Fioretti (born 1953), former Chicago City alderman Bob Fitrakis (born 1955), Ohio politician Bob Flanders (born 1949), former Rhode Island Supreme Court justice Bob Foster (politician) (born 1947), former mayor of Long Beach, California Bob Franks (1951–2010), U.S. Representative from New Jersey
G Bob Gable (born 1934), politician in Kentucky Bob Gammage (1934–2012), U.S. Representative from Texas Bob Gibbs (born 1954), U.S. Representative from Ohio Bob Gibbs (Australian politician) (born 1946), former member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Bob Giuda (born 1952), former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Bob Goodlatte (born 1952), US Representative from Virginia Bob Graham (born 1936), former US senator from Florida Bob F. Griffin (1935–2021), Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Bob Gunther (born 1943), member of the Minnesota House of Representatives Bob Guzzardi (born 1944), lawyer and political activist in Pennsylvania
H Bob Hagan (born 1949), former Ohio State Representative Bob Haldeman (1926–1993), White House Chief of Staff Bob Hanner (1945–2019), American politician and businessman Bob Harvey (mayor) (born 1940), former mayor of Waitakere City, New Zealand Bob Hasegawa (born 1952), member of the Washington Senate Bob Hawke (1929–2019), Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991 Bob Healey (1957–2016), perennial candidate in Rhode Island Bob Heffron (1890–1978), Premier of New South Wales Bob Herron (born 1951), member of the Alaska House of Representatives Bob Hitchens (1952–2020), American football player and coach Bob Hogue (born 1953), basketball coach and former Hawaii State Senator Bob Holden (born 1949), former governor of Missouri Bob Huff (born 1953), former California State Senator Bob Hugin (born 1954), American businessman Bob Huntley (born 1932), former Idaho state representative and Supreme Court justice
I Bob Iger (born 1951), chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company Bob Inglis (born 1959), former U.S. Representative from South Carolina
J Bob Jenson (1931–2018), member of the Oregon House of Representatives Bob Johnson (Arkansas state representative) (born 1953), member of the Arkansas House of Representatives Bob Johnson (politician) (born 1962), member of the Arkansas General Assembly Bob Jones (businessman) (born 1939), New Zealand businessman and politician Bob Jones (police commissioner) (1955–2014), British police commissioner Bob Jones (Texas businessman), American businessman and convicted criminal Robert B. Jordan, III (1932–2020), Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina Robert Jubinville, member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council
K Bob Kasten (born 1942), former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Bob Katter (born 1945), Australian politician Bob Katter Sr. (1918–1990), Australian politician Bob Kauf (1942–1999) Bob Kelleher (1923–2011), American politician in Montana Bob Kerrey (born 1943), American former governor and senator Bob Kilger (1944–2021), Canadian MP from Ontario Bob Kiley (1935–2016), American-born London transit commissioner Bob Kirkwood (1939–2017), American environmentalist and businessman who is a member of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Bob Kiss (born 1947), former mayor of Burlington, Vermont Bob Kraft (born 1941), American businessman Bob Krause (born 1950), former member of the Iowa House of Representatives Bob Krist (born 1957), member of the Nebraska Legislature Bob Krueger (1935–2022), U.S. Senator from Texas
L Bob Lanier (politician) (1925–2014), Mayor of Houston Bob B. Lessard (born 1931), former Minnesota state senator Bob Livingston (born 1943), former U.S. Representative from Louisiana Bob Latta (born 1956), U.S. Representative from Ohio Bob Lutz (businessman) (born 1932), Swiss American automobile executive Bob Lynn (1933–2020), member of the Alaska House of Representatives
M Bob Maclennan, Baron Maclennan of Rogart (1936–2020), British MP for Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross Bob Maginn (born 1956), American businessman and entrepreneur, former chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party and current CEO of Jenzabar Bob Margett (1929–2023), former California state senator Bob Marshall (Virginia politician) (born 1944), member of the Virginia House of Delegates Bob Martinez (born 1934), former governor of Florida Bob Massie (activist) (born 1956), American activist in the fields of corporate accountability, finance, sustainability, and climate change Bob Mathias (1930–2006), U.S. Representative from California Bob Matsui (1941–2005), U.S. Representative from California Bob McDermott (born 1963), member of the Hawaii House of Representatives Bob McDonnell (born 1954), American former governor Bob McEwen (born 1950), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio Bob McLeod (politician) (born 1952), Premier of the Northwest Territories Bob McNair (1937–2018), American businessman Bob Meeks (born 1969), American football player Bob Mercer (born 1946), American businessman Bob Menendez (born 1954), U.S. Senator from New Jersey Bob Michel (1923–2017), U.S. Representative from Illinois and House Minority Leader Bob Miller (Nevada governor) (born 1945), former governor of Nevada Bob Mollohan (1909–1999), United States Representative from West Virginia Bob Moretti (1936–1984), Speaker of the California House of Assembly Bob Muglia (born 1959), American businessman
N Bob Ney (born 1954), former member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio Bob Nicholas (born 1957), member of the Wyoming House of Representatives Bob Nimmo (1922–2005), Administrator of U.S. Veterans Affairs Bob Nonini (born 1954), member of the Idaho State Senate
O Bob Oaks (born 1952), member of the New York State Assembly Bob Oatley (1928–2016), Australian businessman Bob O'Connor (mayor) (1944–2006), Mayor of Pittsburgh Bob O'Dekirk, mayor of Joliet, Illinois Bob Odell (politician) (born 1943), former member of the New Hampshire Senate Bob Odom (1935–2014), longtime Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Bob O'Donnell (born 1943), former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bob O'Halloran (1888–1974), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Bob O'Lone (1836–1871), American-born Canadian politician and soldier in Manitoba Bob Onder (born 1962), member of the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives
P Bob Packwood (1932–2026), United States Senator from Oregon Bob Pacheco (born 1934), former California State Assemblyman Bob Pamplin (born 1941), American businessman and media mogul Bob Parker (mayor) (born 1953), former mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand Bob Peeler (born 1952), former Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina Bob Perciasepe (born 1951), former acting Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Bob J. Perry (1932–2013), political activist in Texas Bob Peterson (North Dakota politician) (born 1951), former North Dakota State Auditor Bob Peterson (Ohio politician) (born 1962), member of the Ohio State Senate