Total births
212
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.
- 212
- total births
- 1914–1975
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that 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.
- 212 total births
- 1914–1975 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
212 boys have been named Cosby since 1914, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1975.
- 212
- total births
- 1914–1975
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Cosby was born in this single decade.
1917
Single peak year
12 babies were named Cosby in 1917 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1975Peak year
1917
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1914
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
Georgia share of Cosby's total US births 2.8%
6 of 212 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cosby? ▼
Since 1914, Social Security records show 212 babies named Cosby. The most recent recorded year was 1975. Its busiest year on record was 1917, with 12 births.
When was Cosby most popular? ▼
Cosby was most popular in the 1920s decade with 65 total births. The single peak year was 1917.
Where is Cosby most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cosby are Georgia (6 births).
Is Cosby a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Cosby is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 212 births, and as a girl's name it has 23 births.
How long has the name Cosby been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Cosby since 1914 -- 62 years through the most recent 1975 data.
What names are similar to Cosby? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cosmo, Cosme, Cosimo, Costa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Cosby
Nearby Names Like Cosby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cosby
Cosmo Boy
#1693 2,949 births
Cosme Boy
#9036 1,373 births
Cosimo Boy
#5083 1,016 births
Costa Boy
#5474 337 births
Costas Boy
#11043 285 births
Compare Cosby side by side: Cosby vs Cosmo Cosby vs Cosme Cosby vs Cosimo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1914–1975 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cosby: Baby Name Since 1914 - 212 Births, Peak 1917." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cosby. 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 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 June 2026.