NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Cobi

A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "lively" or "resilient".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Cobi is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Cobi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1595, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 21 births.

This profile covers 343 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 76% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 353 living people in the UK are called Cobi. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Cobi ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2018, when 21 boys were registered as Cobi.
  • Cobi ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.
  • About 353 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cobi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 98.6% of Cobi registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1595

2024

Births in 2024

16

Latest year

Peak year

2018

21 births

Estimated living

353

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Cobi

In England and Wales birth records, Cobi has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 98.6% of registrations are for boys and 1.4% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

99% boys
Boys343 (98.6%)Girls5 (1.4%)

Cobi registered for boys

  • Ranked #1,595 in 2024
  • 16 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2018 (21 births)

Cobi registered for girls

  • Ranked #3,860 in 2008
  • 5 girls registered in 2008
  • Peak: 2008 (5 births)

Meaning

What does Cobi mean?

The name Cobi is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, deriving from the root word "kav," which means "line" or "path." It is thought to have first emerged in ancient Judaic cultures during the early centuries of the common era.

In some interpretations, Cobi is considered a diminutive or shortened form of the Hebrew name Jacob, which itself has biblical roots and translates to "supplanter" or "one who follows." This name connection may have contributed to Cobi's adoption and usage among Jewish communities in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cobi can be found in the writings of the 11th-century Jewish philosopher and scholar, Solomon ibn Gabirol, who lived in Spain and is sometimes referred to as Avicebron or Avicebrol. Though his given name was not Cobi, some historical records suggest he may have used it as a nickname or variant spelling.

In the 13th century, a renowned Jewish philosopher and Talmudic scholar named Nachmanides, whose full name was Moshe ben Nachman Gerondi, was also known by the nickname "Cobi" or "Cobi Nachman." He was a prominent figure in the Jewish communities of Spain and is remembered for his influential biblical commentaries and teachings.

During the 15th century, a Jewish scholar and physician named Cobi Levi lived in Italy and wrote extensively on medical topics, including a treatise on the plague. His works were widely circulated and contributed to the advancement of medical knowledge in Renaissance Europe.

Another notable figure bearing the name Cobi was Cobi ben Yosef, a 17th-century Jewish scholar and kabbalist from Tzfat, in present-day Israel. He was renowned for his expertise in Jewish mysticism and authored several texts on kabbalistic teachings and practices.

In more recent history, Cobi Jones, an American soccer player, gained fame as a member of the United States national team and played in multiple World Cup tournaments in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was born in 1970 and is considered one of the most accomplished American soccer players of his generation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cobi over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Cobi in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Cobi, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
06121824199620102024

Decades

Cobi by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cobi was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1782 67 5
2010s #1734 137 10
2000s #1674 110 10
1990s #1733 29 4

Geography

Where Cobi is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cobi. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Cobi ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Cobi in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#727 in 2024

3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#433 in 2021

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cobi

FAQ

Cobi: questions and answers

How popular is the name Cobi in the UK right now?

In 2024, Cobi was ranked #1595 for boys in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.

When was Cobi most popular?

The peak year on record was 2018, with 21 babies registered as Cobi in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cobi?

A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "lively" or "resilient".

How many people are called Cobi in the UK?

A total of 343 babies have been registered as Cobi across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Cobi most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cobi ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #433 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.