Kobe
Kobe is a boy's name of Japanese origin.
Meaning
Door of the spirits; supporter of the shrine.
Origin and history
Kobe is derived from the name of the Japanese city, which originally referred to door-gods or fiefs supporting a shrine. It gained immense popularity as a masculine given name in the United States following the rise of basketball star Kobe Bryant. Today, it remains a well-known modern classic in U.S. name culture.
Popularity in the United States
22,513 babies in the United States have been named Kobe since 1880. It ranks #779 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #346.
States where it is most popular
- CA (11.1 %)
- TX (9.1 %)
- FL (4.9 %)
- GA (4.4 %)
- IL (3.9 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 0 |
| 1960-1970 | 0 |
| 1970-1980 | 0 |
| 1980-1990 | 5 |
| 1990-2000 | 2,410 |
| 2000-2010 | 9,117 |
| 2010-2019 | 5,372 |
| 2020-2029 | 5,609 |
Famous people named Kobe
- Kobe Bryant: Basketball Player, Athlete
- Kobe Bufkin: Basketball Player, Athlete
Fun facts
- Kobe Bryant was named after the famous Japanese city and its famous beef after his parents saw it on a restaurant menu.
- The name experienced a notable spike in U.S. popularity in the late 1990s and again in 2020.