Cody first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Cody has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Cody

Small cushion or pillowcase, from the Old English "cod".

Popularity of Cody by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Cody is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 98% of people named Cody being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,078 male babies and 35 female babies born with the name Cody.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 35 baby girls were named Cody in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 1,078 35
2022 1,106 24
2021 1,072 25
2020 1,129 26
2019 1,209 23
2018 1,252 20
2017 1,298 31
2016 1,407 16
2015 1,595 24
2014 1,747 27
2013 1,755 19
2012 2,011 22
2011 2,177 20
2010 2,445 23
2009 3,001 21
2008 3,509 24
2007 3,562 35
2006 4,106 29
2005 4,529 26
2004 5,124 59
2003 5,400 46
2002 5,938 51
2001 6,574 67
2000 7,132 54
1999 7,864 47
1998 8,810 70
1997 10,295 80
1996 12,951 98
1995 15,566 141
1994 17,589 166
1993 19,152 180
1992 19,874 203
1991 18,979 230
1990 15,398 229
1989 10,820 190
1988 10,582 253
1987 8,673 227
1986 6,933 207
1985 7,096 232
1984 5,208 209
1983 3,512 151
1982 3,179 211
1981 2,327 145
1980 1,957 108
1979 1,852 158
1978 1,683 158
1977 1,266 64
1976 1,097 58
1975 901 54
1974 800 43

The history of the first name Cody

The name Cody is an English given name of uncertain origin. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cod," meaning a small bag or pouch, or from the Irish surname Ă“ Codaigh, meaning "descendant of Codaigh."

One theory suggests that the name Cody may have originated as a nickname for a person who carried a small bag or pouch, potentially referring to a peddler or traveler. Another theory links it to the Irish surname, which was anglicized to Cody during the time of the English colonization of Ireland.

The earliest recorded use of the name Cody dates back to the 17th century in England and Ireland. One of the earliest notable figures with the name was William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917), an American scout, bison hunter, and showman who founded the famous Wild West show.

Another famous bearer of the name was Cody Jarrett (1892-1939), an American criminal and gang leader during the Depression era, whose exploits were depicted in the 1949 film "White Heat" starring James Cagney.

In literature, Cody was the name of a character in the 1944 novel "Dandelion Wine" by Ray Bradbury, which explored the summer adventures of a young boy in a small American town.

Other notable individuals named Cody include Cody Bellinger (born 1995), an American professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the National League Rookie of the Year in 2017, and Cody Rhodes (born 1985), an American professional wrestler and the son of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes.

William F. Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, was one of the most famous figures to bear the name, and his Wild West shows helped popularize the name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Cody was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cody, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cody first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/cody-meaning-and-history/.

"Cody first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/cody-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Cody first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/cody-meaning-and-history/.

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