Total births
205
Boys' name · since 2004
Cobain
Cobain has 205 recorded births since 2004 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11681
- among boys today
- 205
- born since 2004
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 18%
- more common than other boys
205 babies have been named Cobain since 2004, making it today's #11681 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cobain has been recorded 205 times among boys since 2004, currently ranked #11681 nationally and more common than 18% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2004 to 2025.
- #11681 among boys today
- 205 born since 2004
- 2010s peak decade
- 18% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cobain is currently the #11681 boys' name in America, more common than 18% of boys - 205 born since 2004, peaking in the 2010s.
- #11681
- among boys today
- 205
- born since 2004
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 18%
- more common than other boys
Cobain vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11681
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 18% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
58% of everyone ever named Cobain was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
20 babies were named Cobain in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Cobain compares
205 39th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cobain's all-time total is 44% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cobain | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 205 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cobain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cobain's full recorded timeline at 2015, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2004, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 20 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cobain at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#11,681
Active since
2004
Cobain popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2004–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 22 years of records
Cobain by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Cobain's strongest decade.
118 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 58% of all-time use.
Cobain births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 28
2000s
28 births
- 2010s
2010s
118 births
- 2020s
2020s
59 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 118 births (58% of all-time use).
Cobain by state
Where Cobain concentrates geographically, total births since 2004
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7 | 3.4% |
California share of Cobain's total US births 3.4%
7 of 205 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cobain? ▼
Cobain has been given to 205 babies in the U.S. since 2004, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #11681 as of the latest data. 20 babies were born in 2017, its single highest year.
When was Cobain most popular? ▼
Cobain was most popular in the 2010s decade with 118 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Cobain most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cobain are California (7 births).
How long has the name Cobain been used? ▼
Cobain has been recorded in Social Security data since 2004, spanning 22 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cobain? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Coby, Cobe, Cobi, Cobey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cobain's data
- Cobain's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (118 total births) through the 2020s (59) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Cobains (7 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cobain
Nearby Names Like Cobain
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cobain
Coby Boy
#1575 9,484 births
Cobe Boy
#3756 857 births
Cobi Boy
#6337 684 births
Cobey Boy
#8476 682 births
Cobie Boy
#8492 405 births
Compare Cobain side by side: Cobain vs Coby Cobain vs Cobe Cobain vs Cobi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cobain
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 2004–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cobain: #11681 Boys' Name - 205 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cobain. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cobain draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.