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

Popularity of Kody by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kody is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 97% of people named Kody being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 220 male babies and 19 female babies born with the name Kody.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 19 baby girls were named Kody in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Kody

The name Kody is a modern variation of the name Cody, which has its roots in the Irish Gaelic language. The name Cody is derived from the Irish surname Ó Cuidighthigh, which means "descendant of the hospitable one." This surname originated in County Sligo, Ireland, and can be traced back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cody appears in the Annals of Loch Cé, a medieval Irish chronicle from the late 12th century. The annals mention a man named Cuidightheach Ó Cuidighthigh, who lived in County Sligo during that time.

The name Cody gained popularity in the United States in the 19th century, particularly in the American West. One of the most famous individuals with this name was William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill Cody (1846-1917). He was a renowned American scout, bison hunter, and showman who founded the traveling Wild West show.

Another notable figure with the name Cody was Samuel Franklin Cody (1867-1913), an American-born pioneer of aviation who spent most of his life in England. He is credited with designing and building several early aircraft models and is considered one of the pioneers of British aviation.

In the realm of literature, Cody was the name of a character in the classic novel "The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in 1938. The novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, tells the story of a young boy named Jody and his pet fawn named Flag, set in the Florida backcountry.

The name Kody, with its alternative spelling, emerged as a more modern variation of the traditional Cody. One notable individual with this spelling was Kody Keplinger, an American author and teacher born in 1991. She gained recognition for her young adult novel "The DUFF," which was later adapted into a film.

While the name Kody is a more recent rendition, it carries the historical and cultural significance of its Irish roots, with its association with hospitality and the rich heritage of the American West.

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 Kody was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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