Declining since 1994, #1,069 for boys today.
Popularity of Kody since 1956
Babies named Kody per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 79 |
| 1970s | 475 |
| 1980s | 2,983 |
| 1990s | 9,956 |
| 2000s | 5,868 |
| 2010s | 3,122 |
| 2020s | 1,274 |
Meaning & origin
Kody emerged on the U.S. naming scene in 1956, initially as a minor variant of Cody. It gained traction in the 1980s and peaked in 1994, the same year its trajectory turned downward as the K- spelling trend began to recede. By 2025, it had fallen to rank 1069, with a frequency of 1 in 8,456 births. The name has been most popular in states like Kentucky, South Carolina, and Indiana, reflecting a regional preference for phonetic spellings. While Kody lacks the deep historical roots of its Irish-derived progenitor, it exemplifies the modern American taste for distinctive spellings that personalize familiar names.
Kody is a phonetic spelling variant of Cody, an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cuidighthigh, meaning 'descendant of Cuidightheach,' which derives from cuidigh, 'to help.' The name emerged in modern times, primarily in the United States, as a given name with the K- substitution popularized in the late 20th century.
Where Kody is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Kody” around the world
Where Kody lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Ireland
6
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kode
Sibling names for Kody
Names that share Kody's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Kody
Names whose popularity has moved with Kody's over the last 50 years.
