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.
- #780 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #521 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 22,513
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Kobe is the #521 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 #521 nationally today, ahead of 96% 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.
- #780 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #521 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 22,513 born since 1989
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kobe ranks #780 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #521 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 22,513 born since 1989, peaking in the 2000s.
- #780 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #521 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 22,513
- born since 1989
- 2000s
- peak decade
Kobe's 22,513 recorded births place it above 98.28% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
50 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kobe compares
22,513 Top 6% higher than 94% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 22,513 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,552 | 34 | 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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (9,117 births, 40% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Kobe sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kobe most popular? ▼
Where is Kobe most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kobe been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kobe? ▼
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
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
Compare Kobe side by side: Kobe vs Koby Kobe vs Kobi Kobe vs Kobie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kobe
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kobe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2001)
Similar record span (~36 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, 1989–2025 (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 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 August 2026.