Kobby
Masculine name of Ghanaian origin derived from the Akan word 'akobor'.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Kobby. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kobby today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kobby births was 2001 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kobby. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kobby with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kobby. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2001
6 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2002 SSA rank
#11,700
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Kobby: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kobby by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kobby during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kobby
The given name Kobby is believed to have its origins in the Akan language spoken by the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The name is derived from the word "Kofi," which means "born on Friday" in the Akan language. It is a name that has been traditionally given to boys born on that day of the week.
Kobby is a diminutive or shortened form of the name Kofi, and it is a widely used variant in the Akan culture. The name has been in use among the Akan people for centuries, dating back to the pre-colonial era in West Africa.
While there are no specific historical references or ancient texts mentioning the name Kobby, it is closely linked to the cultural traditions and naming practices of the Akan people. The use of day names, such as Kofi, Kwame, and Kwasi, is a significant aspect of Akan naming customs.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kobby can be traced back to the 19th century during the period of the transatlantic slave trade. Some enslaved Africans from the Akan region were given the name Kobby or its variations upon their arrival in the Americas.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Kobby. One such person is Kobby Mensah (born in 1985), a Ghanaian professional footballer who has played for various clubs in Ghana and abroad.
Another notable Kobby is Kobby Acheampong (born in 1979), a Ghanaian actor and comedian known for his work in Ghanaian television and film.
Kobby Ekuren (born in 1980) is a Ghanaian singer and songwriter who has gained popularity in the Ghanaian music industry.
Kobby Frimpong (born in 1990) is a Ghanaian professional basketball player who has played for teams in several countries, including Ghana, Spain, and the United States.
Kobby Graham (1929-2010) was a Ghanaian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana from 1979 to 1981.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Kobby throughout history, reflecting its cultural significance and enduring use within the Akan community and beyond.
People
Kobby + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kobby as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kobby: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kobby?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kobby going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Kobby a common name?
We classify Kobby as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kobby most popular?
The single biggest year for Kobby was 2001, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kobby is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kobby in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kobby a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kobby in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kobby still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kobby in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kobby can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Kobby?
Find out how many Americans are named Kobby on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.