Total births
22,513
Boys' name · since 1989
Kobe
Since 1989, U.S. Social Security records show 22,513 babies named Kobe, peaking in 2001. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #410
- among boys today
- 22,513
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kobe is the #410 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 22,513 recorded since 1989.
Social Security Administration records show Kobe recorded 22,513 times among boys since 1989, holding rank #410 nationally today, ahead of 97% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1989 to 2025.
- #410 among boys today
- 22,513 born since 1989
- 2000s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kobe is currently the #410 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 22,513 born since 1989, peaking in the 2000s.
- #410
- among boys today
- 22,513
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Kobe vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#410
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Kobe was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
1,552 babies were named Kobe in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Kobe compares
22,513 Top 5% higher than 95% of 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
Kobe's all-time total is 61x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kobe | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 22,513 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,552 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kobe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kobe's full recorded timeline at 2010, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1989, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2001 peak of 1,552 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kobe at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2001
Current rank
#410
Active since
1989
Kobe popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1989–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 1,552
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Kobe popularity over time - girls
613 total births recorded since 1997 (Kobe as girls' name)
Kobe by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kobe's strongest decade.
9,117 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Kobe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 2,410
1990s
2,410 births
- 2000s
2000s
9,117 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,372 births
- 2020s
2020s
5,609 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 9,117 births (40% of all-time use).
How Kobe compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kobe's total volume
Kobe vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kobe by state
Where Kobe concentrates geographically, total births since 1989
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,390 | 10.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,966 | 8.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,057 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 960 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 836 | 3.7% |
| #6 | New York | | 827 | 3.7% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 801 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 750 | 3.3% |
California share of Kobe's total US births 10.6%
Even split
2,390 of 22,513 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Kobe appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kobe? ▼
Since 1989, Social Security records show 22,513 babies named Kobe. Today it holds rank #410 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2001, with 1,552 births.
When was Kobe most popular? ▼
Kobe was most popular in the 2000s decade with 9,117 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Kobe most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kobe are California (2,390 births), Texas (1,966 births), Florida (1,057 births).
How long has the name Kobe been used? ▼
Kobe has been recorded in Social Security data since 1989, spanning 37 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kobe? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Koby, Kobi, Kobie, Kobey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kobe's data
- Kobe's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (9,117 total births) through the 2020s (5,609) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Kobes (2,390 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 Kobe
Nearby Names Like Kobe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kobe
Koby Boy
#2066 6,038 births
Kobi Boy
#1678 1,971 births
Kobie Boy
#4944 1,539 births
Kobey Boy
#10228 606 births
Kobee Boy
#8022 260 births
Compare Kobe side by side: Kobe vs Koby Kobe vs Kobi Kobe vs Kobie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kobe
Augustus #409
21,680 births · Peak 2024
Daxton #411
14,934 births · Peak 2019
Oakley #408
11,385 births · Peak 2022
Tadeo #412
5,843 births · Peak 2024
Forrest #407
53,639 births · Peak 1994
Sage #413
15,762 births · Peak 2022
Pablo #406
50,370 births · Peak 2006
Apollo #414
9,000 births · Peak 2022
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, 1989–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kobe: #410 Boys' Name - 22,513 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kobe. 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 Kobe 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.