Koda as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Koda

What is the meaning of the name Koda ?

The baby name Koda is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KOH-dah (English: /ˈkoʊdə/); Japanese: Kōda (/koːda/).

Koda is Japanese, Native American in Origin.

Koda derives from the Dakota (Siouan) word koda, meaning “friend, ally,” closely related to the Lakota term kola with the same sense. As an English given name it emerged in the late 20th century, gaining wider notice in North America after the 2003 film Brother Bear introduced a bear cub named Koda. It is used for all genders, though more often for boys, and carries an amiable, companionable tone.

Variants and related forms include Dakota (source name), Kota (a clipped or phonetic variant), and the sound-alike Coda, which is unrelated etymologically and comes from Italian musical terminology. In Japanese, Koda or Kōda is primarily a surname; meanings depend on the kanji, such as 香田 “fragrant rice field” or 幸田 “fortunate rice field,” and this spelling is occasionally adopted as a given name outside Japan. Overall meaning centers on friendship and loyalty.