Given name & surname · also American
Kobi
“woman from California”
Kobi is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “woman from California.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One American interpretation is “woman from California.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with American and Hungarian naming traditions.
How it developed
Kobi is used as a form of Jacob.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1958. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Kobi is a form of Jacob. The history of Jacob gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of twelve sons associated with the twelve tribes of Israel. His name has a long history in Jewish and Christian communities. The related name James developed through a different Late Latin form, Iacomus, eventually becoming distinct from Jacob in English.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Kobi through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,118
- 1,971 boys · 1,147 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 191 babies
- 2025
- 101
- #2,341 for boys · #3,616 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +45%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 56% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 59 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,341 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 102 in 2000. It also appeared in 42 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, North Carolina had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,149 as a first name in 2020; 166 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kobi’s family of names
Kobi is a form of Jacob. Kobi has a related form in Kobe. Kobi has a related form in Koby.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kobi
- Kobi SimmonsAmerican basketball player (born 1997)
- Kobi OshratIsraeli composer and conductorborn 1944
- Kobi Moyalfootballerborn 1987
- Kobi Henryprofessional soccer playerborn 2004
- Kobi OzIsraeli singer and writerborn 1969
- Kobi HassanIsraeli footballerborn 1978
- Kobi SchererSwiss cyclist1931–1970
- Kobi FaragIsraeli actor, director and filmmakerborn 1980
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kobi, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Yael
“having the strength of God” · “strength of God”
65% boys · 35% girls
Kalai
Kalai is a feminine given name from Bible. It is used in Hawaiian.
72% boys · 28% girls
Collier
“a coal miner”
67% boys · 33% girls
Atley
“from the meadow”
34% boys · 66% girls
Kodi
“one who is helpful”
40% boys · 60% girls
Quincy
“the fifth-born child”
66% boys · 34% girls
Gentry
“woman with a high social standing” · “of good breeding; holding a high social standing”
52% boys · 48% girls
Rebel
“an outlaw”
35% boys · 65% girls