Robert

See also: robert, Róbert, and Robèrt

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman Robert, from the Old Frankish cognate of Old High German Hrodperht (normalised form: Ruodberht), from Proto-West Germanic *Hrōþiberht, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiberhtaz (literally “shining glory”). Doublet of Rupert.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɒb.ət/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɑ.bɚt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɔb.ət/
• Hyphenation: Rob‧ert

Proper noun

Robert

1. A male given name from the Germanic languages.
   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
     : Act I, Scene I:

     My brother Robert? Old Sir Robert's son? / Colbrand the giant, that same mighty man?

   • 1984, John Edgar Wideman, Brothers and Keepers: A Memoir, Mariner Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 93:

     I hadn't even considered names for a girl. Robby it would be. Robert Douglas. Where the Douglas came from is another story, but the Robert came from me because I liked the sound. Robert was formal, dignified, important. Robert. And that was nearly as nice as the chance I'd have to call my little brother Rob and Robby.

2. (rare compared to given name) A French surname originating as a patronymic.

Usage notes

• One of the most common English given names since the Norman Conquest.

Derived terms

• Robert Lee (in Texas)
• Roberts
• Robertson
• Robert's Rules of Order
• sauce Robert

 

Related terms

• pet forms: Bert, Bertie, Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Rabbie (Scotland), Rob, Robbie, Robby, Robb
• variants: Robin (chiefly masculine), Robyn (chiefly feminine), Rupert
• feminine forms: Bertha, Roberta

surnames

• Dabb
• Dabbs
• Dabinett
• Dabson
• Dobb
• Dobbie
• Dobbin
• Dobbing
• Dobbins
• Dobbinson
• Dobbs
• Dobby
• Dobbyn
• Dobie
• Dobing
• Dobinson
• Dobkin
• Dobson
• Dopson
• Hob
• Hobb
• Hobbes
• Hobbins
• Hobbis
• Hobbs
• Hoblyn
• Hobson
• Hopkin
• Hopkins
• Hopkinson
• Hopson
• Nobb
• Nobbs
• Nobes
• Probert
• Probin
• Probyn
• Rab
• Rabb
• Rabbitt
• Rabson
• Rapson
• Rob
• Robarts
• Robb
• Robbens
• Robbie
• Robbin
• Robbins
• Robbs
• Roberson
• Roberts
• Robertson
• Robeson
• Robey
• Robin
• Robins
• Robinson
• Robison
• Roblett
• Roblin
• Robson
• Roby

 

Translations

given name

• Albanian: Robérti m
• Arabic: رُوبِرْت (rōbert), رُوبِير m (robēr) (from French)
• Armenian: Ռոբերտ (Ṙobert)
• Azerbaijani: Robert
• Bengali: রবার্ট (robarṭo)
• Bulgarian: Робърт (Robǎrt)
• Catalan: Robert (ca) m
• Cherokee: ᏩᏆᏘ (waquati)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 羅伯特 / 罗伯特 (zh) (Luóbótè)

• Corsican: Robertu m, Rubertu m
• Czech: Robert (cs)
• Danish: Robert
• Esperanto: Roberto
• Estonian: Robert
• Faroese: Róðbjartur m, Robert m
• Finnish: Roope (fi)
• French: Robert (fr)

  Middle French: Robert

  Old French: Robert

• Galician: Roberto (gl)
• Georgian: რობერტი (roberṭi)
• German: Robert (de), Rupprecht
• Greek: Ροβέρτος (el) (Rovértos), Ρόμπερτ (el) (Rómpert)
• Hawaiian: Lopaka
• Hungarian: Róbert (hu)
• Icelandic: Hróbjartur (is), Róbert (is)
• Inuktitut: ᕉᐱᕐᑦ (roopirt)
• Irish: Riobard
• Italian: Roberto (it)
• Japanese: ロバート (Robāto)
• Korean: 로베르트 m (Robereuteu)
• Latin: Rupertus m, Robertus (la) m
• Latvian: Roberts (lv)
• Lithuanian: Ròbertas (lt)
• Maori: Rāpata, Rōpata
• Marathi: रॉबर्ट m (rŏbarṭa)
• Norman: Robèrt m
• Norwegian: Robert (no)
• Occitan: Robèrt m
• Old English: Hrēodbēorht
• Old French: Robert
• Persian: رابرت (râbert)
• Polish: Robert (pl) m
• Portuguese: Roberto (pt) m
• Romanian: Robert
• Russian: Ро́берт (ru) (Róbert)
• Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: Robert

• Sicilian: Rubertu m
• Spanish: Roberto (es)
• Swedish: Robert (sv)
• Welsh: Robat m

Azerbaijani

Proper noun

Robert

1. A transliteration of the English male given name Robert.

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ruˈβɛrt]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [roˈbɛrt]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [roˈbɛɾt]

Proper noun

Robert m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Derived terms

• robertí

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Robert, from Anglo-Norman Robert, from the Old Frankish cognate of Old High German Hrodperht, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiberhtaz (literally “shining glory”).

Proper noun

Robert

1. a male given name from English [in turn from the Germanic languages]

Chinese

Alternative forms

• 蘿拔 / 萝拔, 羅拔 / 罗拔

Etymology

From English Robert, the meaning “male idiot” first appeared in a TVB drama 《老友鬼鬼》 (1991).

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lo¹ bat⁴

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lo¹ bat⁴
    • Yale: lō bàht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lo¹ bat⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: lo¹ bed⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔː⁵⁵ pɐt̚²¹/

Noun

Robert

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, slang, dated) male idiot

   你咪當我Robert喎！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
   你咪当我Robert㖞！ [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ mai⁵ dong³ ngo⁵ lo¹ bat⁴ wo³! [Jyutping]

   Don't treat me as an idiot!

   • 1999 September 2, Henry Chen, “AV Amp 一談”, in hk.rec.audio-visual‎^[1] (Usenet):

     心想,你老板,當我Robert啊你! $7280!?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2003 December 10, 我是地球人, “Channel News Asia: Chinese state press all but ignores Bush-Wen meeting”, in hk.politics‎^[2] (Usenet):

     我當我 Robert 定 Lulu?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2011, 蘇真真, 《真中文──正確中文這樣寫》, Hong Kong: 日閱出版社, →ISBN, page 118:

     想呃我？你當我Robert呀？ [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     想呃我？你当我Robert呀？ [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     soeng² ngaak¹ ngo⁵? nei⁵ dong³ ngo⁵ lo¹ bat⁴ aa⁴? [Jyutping]

     You want to trick me? You're taking me as an idiot?

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 傻子 (“fool; idiot”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		傻子, 傻瓜
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	傻狗兒, 傻蛋, 傻屄 pejorative
	Taiwan	傻子, 傻瓜, 凱子
	Harbin	傻子, 傻狍子, 傻錛兒錛兒, 傻蛋, 傻屄 pejorative
	Singapore	傻瓜
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	傻瓜, 傻子, 呆子
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	傻瓜, 傻屌, 傻膀
	Xuzhou	傻子
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	傻子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	哈巴兒, 哈娃兒, 嘻瓜娃兒, 吞兒寶
	Guilin	哈崽, 哈卵 vulgar
	Liuzhou	傻崽, 哈崽
	Luzhai	傻崽, 哈崽, 憨崽
	Nanning (Wuming)	痴崽, 癲崽
	Dagudi (Maliba)	楞人
	Reshuitang (Longling)	傻瓜, 憨包
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	傻瓜, 笨蛋, 憨包, 包人
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	傻瓜, 憨人
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	傻子
Cantonese	Guangzhou	傻瓜, 阿傻, 傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy, 戇居仔 boy
	Hong Kong	傻瓜, 傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy, 傻女 girl, 傻妹 girl, 死蠢, kai子 dated slang, Lulu dated slang, Robert male, dated slang, Robert仔 male, dated slang, 孟加拉 dated slang
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	懵佬
	Macau	傻佬
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Foshan	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Foshan (Shunde)	傻佬, 傻仔
	Foshan (Sanshui)	傻仔, 蠢仔
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	傻仔
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	傻仔
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	傻佬
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	傻仔, 傻佬
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	傻仔, 傻佬
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	傻佬
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	傻佬
	Taishan	吽仔
	Kaiping (Chikan)	吽仔
	Enping (Niujiang)	傻仔
	Heshan (Yayao)	傻仔
	Dongguan	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy, 傻女 girl, 懵佬 man, 懵婆 woman, 懵仔 boy, 懵女 girl
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Beihai	傻瓜
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	傻仔, 傻佬
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	傻佬, 傻婆, 廢佬
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	傻仔, 傻佬
	Penang (Guangfu)	傻仔
	Singapore (Guangfu)	傻仔
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	傻佬
	Móng Cái	傻仔, 傻佬
Gan	Nanchang	蟬頭
Hakka	Meixian	傻瓜, 戇牯, 傻貨, 傻仔
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	懵佬 man, 懵婆 woman, 懵仔 boy
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	傻佬 man, 傻婆 woman, 傻仔 boy
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	傻佬
	Hong Kong	傻佬
Jin	Taiyuan	傻子, 傻屄 pejorative
	Xinzhou	傻瓜子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	賴仔, 賴撇仔
Southern Min	Xiamen	戇儂, 歁囝
	Taipei	戇儂 GT, 戇猴 GT, 宋盼的 GT, 盼仔 GT
	Tainan	戇儂, 戇虎的
	Penang (Hokkien)	戇儂, 戇居, 柴頭, 戇囝, 傻仔
	Singapore (Hokkien)	戇囝
	Manila (Hokkien)	山猴, 戇戇鬼, 洽洽仔, 三八儂, ka-mú-tī, 大番薯
	Shantou	傻瓜, 㦙囝, 傻哥
	Leizhou	妃松, 老松, 山邁
	Haikou	傻囝
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	傻佬
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	傻佬
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	傻崽
Wu	Shanghai	戇人, 阿戇, 踱頭, 壽頭, 戇浮屍 vulgar
Xiang	Changsha	哈寶, 苕它, 蠢人子, 蠢寶, 痴呆子, 哈卵 vulgar
	Loudi	哈寶, 哈聖, 哈子
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Coordinate terms

• Lulu

References

• Bolton, Kingsley, Hutton, Christopher (2005) A Dictionary of Cantonese Slang: The Language of Hong Kong Movies, Street Gangs and City Life, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN, page 255

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrobɛrt]

Proper noun

Robert m anim

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Declension

This proper noun needs an inflection-table template.

Danish

Proper noun

Robert

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch robert, from Old French [Term?], from Germanic. Equivalent to a Frenchified form of Robrecht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈroː.bərt/, /ˈrɔ.bərt/, (French-based pronunciation) /roːˈbɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ro‧bert

Proper noun

Robert m

1. a male given name

Derived terms

• robertskruid

 

Related terms

• Rob
• Robbert
• Roberto
• Robertus
• Robrecht

 

Estonian

Proper noun

Robert

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Related terms

• Robi

Faroese

Proper noun

Robert m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Usage notes

Patronymics

• son of Robert: Robertsson
• daughter of Robert: Robertsdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Robert
accusative	Robert
dative	Roberti
genitive	Roberts

Finnish

Etymology

From Swedish Robert, from Latin Robertus, from Frankish *Hrōþiberht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrobert/, [ˈro̞be̞rt̪]
• Rhymes: -obert
• Hyphenation^(key): Ro‧bert

Proper noun

Robert

1. a male given name from the Germanic languages, equivalent to English Robert

Declension

Inflection of Robert (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Robert	Robertit
genitive		Robertin	Robertien
partitive		Robertia	Roberteja
illative		Robertiin	Roberteihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Robert	Robertit
accusative	nom.	Robert	Robertit
	gen.	Robertin
genitive		Robertin	Robertien
partitive		Robertia	Roberteja
inessive		Robertissa	Roberteissa
elative		Robertista	Roberteista
illative		Robertiin	Roberteihin
adessive		Robertilla	Roberteilla
ablative		Robertilta	Roberteilta
allative		Robertille	Roberteille
essive		Robertina	Roberteina
translative		Robertiksi	Roberteiksi
abessive		Robertitta	Roberteitta
instructive		—	Robertein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Robert (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Robertini Robertini accusative nom. Robertini Robertini gen. Robertini genitive Robertini Robertieni partitive Robertiani Robertejani inessive Robertissani Roberteissani elative Robertistani Roberteistani illative Robertiini Roberteihini adessive Robertillani Roberteillani ablative Robertiltani Roberteiltani allative Robertilleni Roberteilleni essive Robertinani Roberteinani translative Robertikseni Roberteikseni abessive Robertittani Roberteittani instructive — — comitative — Roberteineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Robertisi Robertisi accusative nom. Robertisi Robertisi gen. Robertisi genitive Robertisi Robertiesi partitive Robertiasi Robertejasi inessive Robertissasi Roberteissasi elative Robertistasi Roberteistasi illative Robertiisi Roberteihisi adessive Robertillasi Roberteillasi ablative Robertiltasi Roberteiltasi allative Robertillesi Roberteillesi essive Robertinasi Roberteinasi translative Robertiksesi Roberteiksesi abessive Robertittasi Roberteittasi instructive — — comitative — Roberteinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Robertimme Robertimme accusative nom. Robertimme Robertimme gen. Robertimme genitive Robertimme Robertiemme partitive Robertiamme Robertejamme inessive Robertissamme Roberteissamme elative Robertistamme Roberteistamme illative Robertiimme Roberteihimme adessive Robertillamme Roberteillamme ablative Robertiltamme Roberteiltamme allative Robertillemme Roberteillemme essive Robertinamme Roberteinamme translative Robertiksemme Roberteiksemme abessive Robertittamme Roberteittamme instructive — — comitative — Roberteinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Robertinne Robertinne accusative nom. Robertinne Robertinne gen. Robertinne genitive Robertinne Robertienne partitive Robertianne Robertejanne inessive Robertissanne Roberteissanne elative Robertistanne Roberteistanne illative Robertiinne Roberteihinne adessive Robertillanne Roberteillanne ablative Robertiltanne Roberteiltanne allative Robertillenne Roberteillenne essive Robertinanne Roberteinanne translative Robertiksenne Roberteiksenne abessive Robertittanne Roberteittanne instructive — — comitative — Roberteinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Robertinsa Robertinsa accusative nom. Robertinsa Robertinsa gen. Robertinsa genitive Robertinsa Robertiensa partitive Robertiaan Robertiansa Robertejaan Robertejansa inessive Robertissaan Robertissansa Roberteissaan Roberteissansa elative Robertistaan Robertistansa Roberteistaan Roberteistansa illative Robertiinsa Roberteihinsa adessive Robertillaan Robertillansa Roberteillaan Roberteillansa ablative Robertiltaan Robertiltansa Roberteiltaan Roberteiltansa allative Robertilleen Robertillensa Roberteilleen Roberteillensa essive Robertinaan Robertinansa Roberteinaan Roberteinansa translative Robertikseen Robertiksensa Roberteikseen Roberteiksensa abessive Robertittaan Robertittansa Roberteittaan Roberteittansa instructive — — comitative — Roberteineen Roberteinensa

Derived terms

• Roope
• Roopertti

 

Statistics

• Robert is the 201^st most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 2,968 male individuals (and as a middle name to 4,356 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔ.bɛʁ/

Proper noun

Robert m

1. a male given name, feminine equivalent Roberte, equivalent to English Robert
2. a surname originating as a patronymic

Derived terms

• Brie-Comte-Robert
• herbe à Robert
• robert

 

Related terms

• Rubert

 

Further reading

• filae.com
• Forebears (French)

German

Etymology

From Middle High German Robert, from Latin Robertus, from Frankish, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiberhtaz. Reinforced since the 18th century by French Robert. Other (chiefly southern) German forms are Rupert and Ruprecht.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʁoːbɛʁt/, /ˈʁoːbɐt/ (with some regional variation, the latter being uncommon in western Germany)

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Robert m (proper noun, strong, genitive Roberts)

1. a male given name from Frankish, feminine equivalent Roberta, equivalent to English Robert

Related terms

• Rob
• Robin
• Rupert
• Ruprecht

 

Italian

Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English Robert.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔ.bert/
• Rhymes: -ɔbert
• Hyphenation: Rò‧bert

Proper noun

Robert m

1. A male given name in English

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French Robert.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roˈbɛr/
• Rhymes: -ɛr

Proper noun

Robert m or f by sense

1. A male given name and surname in French

Norwegian

Proper noun

Robert

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Old French

Etymology

Of Germanic origin, equivalent to Frankish *hrōþi (“fame”) + *berht (“bright”).

Proper noun

Robert m (nominative singular Roberz)

1. a male given name, a Germanic (Old Frankish) borrowing

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔ.bɛrt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔbɛrt
• Syllabification: Ro‧bert

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Doublet of Rupert.

Proper noun

Robert m pers (female equivalent Roberta, diminutive Robercik)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Proper noun

Robert m pers

1. a male surname

Declension

Declension of Robert

	singular	plural
nominative	Robert	Robertowie
genitive	Roberta	Robertów
dative	Robertowi	Robertom
accusative	Roberta	Robertów
instrumental	Robertem	Robertami
locative	Robercie	Robertach
vocative	Robercie	Robertowie

Proper noun

Robert f (indeclinable)

1. a female surname

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Proper noun

Robert f

1. genitive plural of Roberta

Further reading

• Robert in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Robert in PWN's encyclopedia
• “+”, in Internetowy słownik nazwisk w Polsce [Internet dictionary of surnames in Poland], 2022

Swedish

Etymology

First recorded as a given name in Sweden in 1219.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /¹roːbɛʈ/, /¹roːbæʈ/

Proper noun

Robert c (genitive Roberts)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Robert

Related terms

• (male given names) Robin
• (surnames) Robertsson

References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
• [3] Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 55 692 males with the given name Robert living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.