UK name, mostly boys
Coby
A diminutive of the name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "may God protect".
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.
Coby is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Coby popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #336, with 130 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 213 births.
This profile covers 3,161 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 61% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,378 living people in the UK are called Coby. 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
- • Coby ranked #336 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 130 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 213 boys were registered as Coby.
- • Coby ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #256 in 2024.
- • About 3,378 living people in the UK are estimated to have Coby as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.0% of Coby registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#336
2024
Births in 2024
130
Latest year
Peak year
2019
213 births
Estimated living
3,378
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Coby
In England and Wales birth records, Coby has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.0% of registrations are for boys and 1.0% 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.
Coby registered for boys
- Ranked #336 in 2024
- 130 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (213 births)
Coby registered for girls
- Ranked #5,591 in 2019
- 3 girls registered in 2019
- Peak: 1996 (5 births)
Meaning
What does Coby mean?
The given name Coby is a diminutive form of the name Jacob, which has Hebrew origins. The name Jacob is derived from the Hebrew word "ya'aqov," which means "supplanter" or "one who follows."
The name Coby gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries. It is considered a modern variant of the traditional name Jacob, which has been in use for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Jacob can be found in the Bible's Book of Genesis. Jacob was one of the patriarchs of the Israelites and is revered in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In the realm of history, notable figures with the name Jacob include Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), a German philologist and one of the Brothers Grimm, renowned for their collection of folk tales. Another influential figure was Jacob Riis (1849-1914), a Danish-American journalist and social reformer who brought attention to the plight of the poor in New York City.
Moving forward in time, Jacob Bronowski (1908-1974) was a Polish-British mathematician, historian, and television presenter known for his contributions to the popularization of science. Jacob Zuma (born 1942) is a South African politician who served as the President of South Africa from 2009 to 2018.
While the name Coby itself does not have a long historical legacy, it has been gaining popularity in recent decades. One notable individual with the name Coby is Coby Bell (born 1975), an American actor and writer known for his roles in shows like "The Game" and "Burn Notice."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Coby over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Coby 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 Coby, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 130 births in 2024, compared with 213 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Coby by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Coby 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 | #301 | 767 | 5 |
| 2010s | #307 | 1,526 | 10 |
| 2000s | #442 | 781 | 10 |
| 1990s | #762 | 87 | 4 |
Geography
Where Coby is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Coby. 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.
Coby ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #256 in 2024.
Across the UK
Coby in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#278 in 2024
20 years of NRS records, 169 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#256 in 2024
14 years of NISRA records, 70 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Coby
-
Coby Rowe
association football player
English footballer
1995-
-
Coby Sey
singer; songwriter
British musician, songwriter, artist, vocalist and NTS Radio host
Related
Names similar to Coby
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Coby: questions and answers
How popular is the name Coby in the UK right now?
In 2024, Coby was ranked #336 for boys in England and Wales, with 130 births registered.
When was Coby most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 213 babies registered as Coby in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Coby?
A diminutive of the name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "may God protect".
How many people are called Coby in the UK?
A total of 3,161 babies have been registered as Coby across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 169 more in Scotland and 70 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Coby most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Coby ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #256 in 2024. 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.