NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Cobie

A diminutive form of the feminine name Jacobina, derived from Jacob.

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.

Cobie is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Cobie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #773, with 44 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 44 births.

This profile covers 508 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.

Cobie is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 521 living people in the UK are called Cobie. 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

  • Cobie ranked #773 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 44 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 44 boys were registered as Cobie.
  • Cobie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 521 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cobie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 91.0% of Cobie registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#773

2024

Births in 2024

44

Latest year

Peak year

2024

44 births

Estimated living

521

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Cobie

In England and Wales birth records, Cobie has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 91.0% of registrations are for boys and 9.0% 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.

91% boys
Boys508 (91.0%)Girls50 (9.0%)

Cobie registered for boys

  • Ranked #773 in 2024
  • 44 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (44 births)

Cobie registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,709 in 2023
  • 4 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2003 (5 births)

Meaning

What does Cobie mean?

The given name Cobie is a diminutive form of the name Jacob, which has its origins in the Hebrew language. Jacob, derived from the Hebrew word "Ya'aqob," means "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name Cobie emerged as a shortened version, likely originating in the Netherlands or Germany in the 17th or 18th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cobie can be traced back to a Dutch sailor named Cobie van der Meer, who was part of a Dutch East India Company expedition to the Indonesian archipelago in the late 1600s. Historical records from this time period mention Cobie as a crew member on several voyages.

In the realm of literature, the name Cobie appeared in a minor character in the novel "The Rise of Silas Lapham" by William Dean Howells, published in 1885. The novel, set in the post-Civil War era in Boston, portrayed the social and economic struggles of the time.

Among notable historical figures bearing the name Cobie, one can mention Cobie Smit, a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II. Smit, born in 1908, played a crucial role in the Dutch resistance against the Nazi occupation, risking his life to aid Allied forces and shelter Jewish refugees.

Another prominent figure was Cobie Bragancia, a Brazilian footballer who played as a striker in the 1950s and 1960s. Bragancia, born in 1932, represented the Brazilian national team and scored over 200 goals during his illustrious career, playing for clubs like Flamengo and Santos.

In the world of music, Cobie Roberts, an American singer-songwriter born in 1948, gained recognition for her contributions to the folk and country music genres. Her album "Namedropper" released in 1975, showcased her talent as a lyricist and storyteller.

Cobie Smulders, a Canadian-American actress born in 1982, is perhaps one of the most well-known bearers of the name in modern times. She is best known for her role as Robin Scherbatsky on the popular sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and has also appeared in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films as Maria Hill.

While the name Cobie may have its roots in the Netherlands and Germany, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its way into various cultures and historical contexts, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and personalities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cobie over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Cobie 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 Cobie, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 44 births in 2024, compared with 44 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
011233445199620102024

Decades

Cobie by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cobie 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 #876 180 5
2010s #1218 224 10
2000s #1863 94 9
1990s #2095 10 2

Geography

Where Cobie is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cobie. 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.

Cobie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Cobie in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

5 years of NRS records, 16 total registered

Related

Names similar to Cobie

FAQ

Cobie: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Cobie was ranked #773 for boys in England and Wales, with 44 births registered.

When was Cobie most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 44 babies registered as Cobie in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cobie?

A diminutive form of the feminine name Jacobina, derived from Jacob.

How many people are called Cobie in the UK?

A total of 508 babies have been registered as Cobie across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 16 more in Scotland.

Where is Cobie most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Cobie ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #728 in 2023. 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.