boy's name
Cody
KOH-dee
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 329,735
the United States
#318
2025 births
Cody is a boy's name of Irish origin, anglicising Ó Cuidighthigh, meaning "descendant of the helpful one." Its modern use is almost entirely American, taken from Buffalo Bill Cody rather than from Irish tradition.
- Cody is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1992, when 20,079 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,039 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1884.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Cody over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Cody is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 11 |
| 1900s | 11 |
| 1910s | 156 |
| 1920s | 198 |
| 1930s | 204 |
| 1940s | 312 |
| 1950s | 808 |
| 1960s | 1,855 |
| 1970s | 10,208 |
| 1980s | 62,222 |
| 1990s | 147,930 |
| 2000s | 49,295 |
| 2010s | 17,135 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,814 |
What Cody means
Cody means helpful, or descendant of a helper, from the Irish cuidightheach. A competing reading gives cuidiú, assistance, with much the same sense — the name concerns aid rather than any physical quality.
Where Cody comes from
Cody anglicizes the Irish surname Ó Cuidighthigh, from cuidightheach, meaning helpful — though a separate Norman-Irish family, the Archdeacons of Kilkenny, also adopted the Gaelic name Mac Óda and produced Cody as a surname, so the two lines are tangled. Its life as a first name is American: William Frederick Cody, Buffalo Bill, toured his Wild West show internationally from 1883 and made the surname a byword for the frontier. Wyoming's town of Cody is named for him.
Cody in use
Our data shows Cody falling, peaking in 1992, at 102 in England and Wales against 318 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1884, the year after Buffalo Bill's show began touring. Its 1992 peak places it with Brody, Jordan and Dylan — a cohort of surname-names that rose and fell together.
How popular is Cody?
In 2025, Cody was given to 507 babies in England and Wales, ranking #102 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Cody is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Cody
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Cody also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Cody over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Cody in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Cody
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Cody — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Cody
What does the name Cody mean?
Cody means "descendant of the helpful one," from the Irish Ó Cuidighthigh.
Is Cody an Irish name?
The surname is Irish, though its use as a first name is American, taken from Buffalo Bill Cody.
Is Cody still popular?
It is past its peak. Our data shows it peaking in 1992 and falling since, alongside Brody, Jordan and Dylan.
Is Cody a girl's or a boy's name?
Cody is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Cody?
Cody has 2 syllables.
Is Cody a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Cody currently ranks #80 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.