Etymology: < the male forename Robert, a name ultimately of Germanic origin which was common in medieval France and subsequently in Britain.The forename is found in Britain in Latin and English documents occasionally in the 10th cent. and more frequently from the 11th cent. onwards, in a variety of forms (e.g. Old English Rodbert , Rodbeard , Hrodberd , Rotbeard , Rotbert , Robert , Roberd , Middle English Robart , Robert , Robertt , Roberte , Roberd , Roberdd , Roberde , Robarde , Robard , etc.), at first apparently borne by people of continental, especially Norman, descent. Compare Old French Rodbert , Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French, French Robert . In sense 1 earliest in Robert redbreast , in which Robert apparently functions as though a forename and redbreast as though a surname, although compare Middle Dutch rootbaert , robaert , robert robin, literally ‘red beard’ (16th cent.; 1287 in West Flemish as roebard in this sense). Compare also slightly earlier robinet n. 4, and also robin redbreast n., robin n.¹ 2. In sense 2 short for herb Robert n. In sense 3 after bobby n., punningly after Bobby as a pet form of the male forename Robert . In sense 4 arising from the name of ‘Robert the city waiter’, the fictional author of a series of popular comic articles by John Thomas Bedford (1812–1900) which appeared in Punch from 1880–95.

Etymology: < French Robert (in sauce Robert : 1552 in Middle French in Rabelais as saulse Robert ), apparently < the male forename Robert (see Robert n.¹), although if so the circumstances in which the name arose are unknown (it is assumed already in Rabelais to be the name of the inventor of the sauce, but it is unclear whether there is any foundation to this). In sense 2 generally assimilated to the English form of the name.