Kobyn
A masculine given name, possibly of uncertain or modern origin.
Name Census estimates that about 95 living Americans carry the first name Kobyn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kobyn today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kobyn births was 2014 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kobyn. 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 Kobyn with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kobyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
95
~ 1 in 3,607,940 Americans
Peak year
2014
14 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,298
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Kobyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kobyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 53 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kobyn 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 Kobyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kobyn
The name Kobyn has its origins in the ancient Celtic language, derived from the root word "cob" which translates to "victorious" or "triumphant." This name emerged during the early medieval period, particularly in regions now known as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kobyn can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned as the name of a warrior chieftain in the 7th century. Additionally, the name appears in several ancient Celtic folktales and legends, often associated with heroic figures and brave warriors.
In the 11th century, a notable figure named Kobyn ap Gwynedd was a Welsh prince and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Norman invaders. His exploits and valor in battle were celebrated in contemporary bardic poetry and oral traditions.
During the 12th century, a renowned Scottish monk and scholar named Kobyn of Dunfermline gained recognition for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Celtic manuscripts and his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the late 15th century, Kobyn O'Neill was a prominent Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Neill dynasty, known for his resistance against English rule and his efforts to maintain the autonomy of his clan in Ulster.
Transitioning to the modern era, one of the most notable individuals with the name Kobyn was Kobyn Kinsella, an Irish author and poet born in 1928, whose works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Ireland and explored themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of human experience.
While the name Kobyn has its roots in the ancient Celtic world, its enduring presence throughout history reflects the resilience of cultural traditions and the ability of names to transcend time and geographical boundaries, carrying with them the echoes of valor, scholarship, and artistic expression.
People
Kobyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kobyn 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
Kobyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kobyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 95 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kobyn 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 3,607,940 US residents.
Is Kobyn a common name?
We classify Kobyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 96 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kobyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kobyn was 2014, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kobyn is about 13 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 Kobyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kobyn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kobyn 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 Kobyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kobyn 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 Kobyn 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 have the name Kobyn?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Kobyn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.