Unisex name · since 1914
Cosby
Cosby has 212 recorded births since 1914 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1917 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12,587 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 212
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
212 boys have been named Cosby since 1914, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Cosby has 212 recorded births among boys since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 1975.
- #12,587 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 212 born since 1914
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cosby ranks #12,587 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 212 born since 1914, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12,587 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 212
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Cosby's 212 recorded births place it above 72.26% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Georgia.
Cosby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cosby's full recorded timeline at 1933, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1932, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1917 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cosby popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–1975
- Peak year (1917)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 62 years of records
Cosby popularity over time - girls
23 total births recorded since 1908 (Cosby as girls' name)
Cosby by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (65 births, 31% of the file).
1920s was Cosby's strongest decade.
65 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Cosby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
43 births
- 1920s
1920s
65 births
- 1930s
1930s
53 births
- 1940s 22
1940s
22 births
- 1950s 18
1950s
18 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 65 births (31% of all-time use).
Cosby by state
Where Cosby concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 6 | 2.8% |
6 of 212 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cosby? ▼
Where does Cosby sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cosby most popular? ▼
Where is Cosby most popular? ▼
Is Cosby a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Cosby been used? ▼
What names are similar to Cosby? ▼
What to do with Cosby's data
- Cosby's decade-level peak was the 1920s (65 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Cosbys (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cosby
Nearby Names Like Cosby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cosby
Compare Cosby side by side: Cosby vs Cosmo Cosby vs Cosme Cosby vs Cosimo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cosby: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1917)
Similar record span (~61 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1914–1975 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Cosby 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 August 2026.