Bob is a male
nickname or occasionally a
given name, most common in
English speaking countries such as the
United States,
Canada,
Ireland, the
United Kingdom,
Australia, and
New Zealand. It most likely originated from the nickname Rob, short for Robert. Rhyming names were popular in the
Middle Ages, so
Richard became
Rick,
Hick, or
Dick,
William became
Will or
Bill, and
Robert became
Rob,
Hob,
Dob,
Nob, or
Bob.