Kobe is a distinctive girls' name in United States, ranking #3808 in 2025 with 39 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2021 with 60 births ranking #2837. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 41,212 girls born was named Kobe. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Kobe has two supported routes in Behind the Name. It can be a Flemish diminutive of Jakob, or it can be a modern name taken from the Japanese city of Kobe.
The place-name route became especially familiar in the English-speaking world because Kobe Bryant’s parents chose it after seeing Kobe beef on a menu. Since both routes are real, the safest description is that Kobe is multi-origin.