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Kobe as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kobe

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The baby name Kobe is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KOH-bee (/ˈkoʊ.bi/); occasionally KOH-bay (/ˈkoʊ.beɪ/).

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Pronunciation: KOH-bee (/ˈkoʊ.bi/); occasionally KOH-bay (/ˈkoʊ.beɪ/)

What is the meaning of the name Kobe ?

The baby name Kobe is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KOH-bee (/ˈkoʊ.bi/); occasionally KOH-bay (/ˈkoʊ.beɪ/).

Kobe is in Origin.

Kobe is a masculine given name with several roots. In Dutch and Flemish it is a familiar short form of Jacob or Jacobus, ultimately from the Hebrew Ya'akov, often interpreted as "holder of the heel" or "supplanter." As an independent English given name it aligns with diminutives such as Coby and Koby. The spelling also matches the Japanese place name Kobe (神戸), though it is not a traditional Japanese given name; the toponym derives from families who served a Shinto shrine.

Usage spread in Belgium as a nickname-turned-formal name, while in the United States and elsewhere it surged in the late 1990s and 2000s, propelled by basketball star Kobe Bryant - himself named after the famed beef from the city of Kobe. Common variants include Koby, Kobi, Coby, Cobie, and Kobie; related forms are Jacob, Jakob, and Jacoby. In Swahili, kobe means "tortoise," an incidental lexical echo.

Kobe has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kobe

Kobe Tai Actor · Born 1972 · United States Kobe Tai is best known for her work as an adult film actress in the late 1990s. She starred in numerous films during her career and became one of the most recognizable figures in the industry at that time. Born in 1972 in the United States, she also made appearances in mainstream media, including a role in the film 'Very Bad Things'.

Kobe – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
Belgium Boys 2024 #111 78 401
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
Switzerland Boys 2024 #136 2 1,769
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
BW Boys 0 #150 5 4,685
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
PR Boys 0 #177 2 2,508
Sweden Boys 2021 #182 2 1,578
MO Boys 0 #184 40 5,842
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
TW Boys 0 #212 30 7,111
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
PS 0 #223 4 5,692
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Girls 0 #237 15 7,056
CN Boys 0 #238 84 9,639
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
JM Boys 0 #258 15 6,876
Canada Boys 2024 #264 43 2,588
IL 0 #276 7 6,291
SG 0 #280 3 11,010
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
HK Boys 0 #304 269 12,905
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
PH Boys 0 #306 78 11,440
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
HK 0 #315 34 8,483
GH Boys 0 #318 28 8,138
MY 0 #319 12 12,352
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
QA Girls 0 #341 3 15,378
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
United States Boys 2024 #365 787 7,044
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
France Boys 2021 #385 3 2,865
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
SD Boys 0 #459 8 10,523
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
CR Boys 0 #505 6 10,188
HK Girls 0 #517 99 16,104
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
PS Boys 0 #526 23 10,655
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
CM Boys 0 #541 10 12,054
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
LY 0 #553 7 12,703
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
IL Boys 0 #565 43 10,983
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
SG Girls 0 #630 3 18,916
IQ Boys 0 #657 11 13,071
SG Boys 0 #658 40 17,960
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
QA Boys 0 #693 15 18,093
CL Boys 0 #696 5 13,390
KW Boys 0 #748 22 18,755
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #876 41 8,487
CO Boys 0 #902 19 15,656
OM Boys 0 #910 9 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #914 17 5,610
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
PE Boys 0 #923 4 14,506
NL Boys 0 #941 11 5,873
MX Boys 0 #944 39 16,355
NG Boys 0 #995 7 16,906
MY Boys 0 #1,000 112 25,439
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
SA Girls 0 #1,012 3 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,064 9 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,075 18 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,120 22 25,928
ZA Boys 0 #1,125 54 25,619
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MA 0 #1,193 7 20,986
TR 0 #1,198 14 19,440
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,433 39 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,519 96 28,008

Kobe is popular in 68 countries — most recent births per country:

Belgium
Flanders, Belgium
Canada
United States
Scotland, United Kingdom

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People also ask about Kobe

Kobe is predominantly a boy's name.
Kobe is a 2 syllable name, pronounced KOH-bee (/ˈkoʊ.bi/); occasionally KOH-bay (/ˈkoʊ.beɪ/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kobi, Koby, Coby, Kobie, Kobey and Cobey.
Yes, very popular — Kobe ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Kobe ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Kobe's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #44 in 2014 to #111 in 2024 in Belgium.
Yes — 1 notable people named Kobe are in our database, including Kobe Tai (Actor).