Kobe (Hebrew: קובי, romanizedKóbi; Greek: Κόμπε, romanizedKómpe; Japanese: 神戸, romanizedKōbe) is a unisex given name that has multiple origins and meanings. Origins include Hebrew, Dutch, Swahili, Japanese and Greek origins. Alternate spellings of this name are Coby, Koby, Kobi, Colby, and Cobe.

Kobe
Pronunciation/ˈkbi/ KOH-bee
GenderMale
Language(s)English, Greek, Hebrew, Dutch, Swahili, Latin, Japanese KOH-bay
Name day25 July[1]
Origin
Word/nameAncient Hebrew, Early common era Japan
MeaningSupplanter, God's door, God may protect, tortoise etc.
Other names
Alternative spellingCoby
Nickname(s)Ko
See alsoKobe (disambiguation)

Origins

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The first known use of the name was in Biblical times when the name "Koby" was used as a pet-name for Jacob. The Hebrew meaning is rooted to the words Yakov (Jacob) meaning "Yahweh (God) may protect.[citation needed] It can also be translated to "Supplanter", Held by the heel, leg puller and heel-grabber from the late Latin word "Iacobus" which is rooted to the Greek lakobos (Ἰάκωβος) which is connected to the base name Jacob[2] and used as a diminutive (nickname) form for Jacob.[3]

The Swahili meaning of the name Kobe translate to "tortoise" or "turtle".[4][5] The Dutch meaning is similar to the Hebrew meaning but the name is a diminutive for Jakob instead of Jacob.[6]

Popularity

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Kobe Bryant

The use of the name has spiked with the popularity of American basketball player Kobe Bryant, with 14,000 children being given the name over his 20-year NBA career.[7] He was named after Kobe beef when his parents spotted it on a menu.[8] Between 1985 and 1995 there were only 14 recorded births in the United States given this name. Later, there were 87 born with this name in the year of 1996 alone, the year in which Bryant was drafted into the NBA.[citation needed] According to the United states social security statistics from 2000 to 2018 it has declined in popularity in the United States, starting in the top 300, but down to 574th most common name in 2018.[9] The gender of this name is 98.02% male and 1.98% female.

People with the name

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Notable people with the name include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "American Nameday Calendar of First Names – Male Names K". www.americannamedaycalendar.com. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  2. ^ Keener, Craig S. (21 May 2019). Galatians: A Commentary. Baker Academic. ISBN 978-1-4934-1570-0.
  3. ^ "Name Kobe: Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity - Baby Names". www.babynames.com. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  4. ^ Steere, Edward. A handbook of the Swahili language, as spoken at Zanzibar. Рипол Классик. ISBN 9781177635981.
  5. ^ "Turtle in Swahili - English-Swahili Dictionary". Glosbe. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  6. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Kobe (1)". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  7. ^ "You won't believe how many thousands of people are named after Kobe". FOX Sports. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  8. ^ "24 facts about amazing Kobe Bryant". www.cbsnews.com. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  9. ^ OACT. "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.