Kobe (given name)

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{{Infobox Given name|name=Kobe|gender=Male

|pronunciation={{IPAc-en|'|k|oʊ|b|i}} {{respell|KOH|bee}}|language=English, Greek, Hebrew, Dutch, Swahili, Latin, Akan, Japanese {{respell|KOH|bay}}

|origin=Ancient Hebrew, Early common era Japan, Akan (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo & Jamaica)

|meaning=Supplanter, God's door, God may protect, tortoise, Tuesday born, friendliness, ocean{{cite journal

| last = Bartle| first = Philip F. W. | title = Forty Days: The Akan Calendar

|alternative spelling=Cobe, Cobie, Coby, Colbie, Colby, Koby, Kobbi, Kobi

|see also=Kobe (disambiguation)|nickname=Ko|name day=25 July{{Cite web|title=American Nameday Calendar of First Names – Male Names K|url=http://www.americannamedaycalendar.com/male_k.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041028090837/http://americannamedaycalendar.com/male_k.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 October 2004|access-date=2 June 2020|website=www.americannamedaycalendar.com}}

}}

Kobe ({{langx|he|קובי|Kóbi}}; {{langx|el|Κόμπε|Kómpe}}; {{langx|ja|神戸|Kōbe}}) is a unisex given name that has multiple origins and meanings. Origins include Hebrew, Dutch, Swahili, Japanese, Akan{{cite book |author=Philip Briggs |title=Ghana: The Bradt Travel Guide |edition=2nd |publisher=Bradt |year=2001 |isbn=1-84162-030-0 |page=13 |url=https://archive.org/details/bradttravelguide00brig/page/12}} and Greek origins. Alternate spellings of this name are Cobe, Cobie, Coby, Colbie, Colby, Koby, Kobbi and Kobi.

Origins

In Ancient Hebrew times, the name "Koby" was used as a pet-name for Jacob. The Hebrew meaning is rooted to the words Yakov (Jacob) meaning "Yahweh (God) may protect.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} It can also be translated to "Supplanter" from the late Latin word "Iacobus" which is rooted to the Greek lakobos (Ἰάκωβος) which is connected to the base name Jacob{{Cite book|last=Keener|first=Craig S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9g1YDwAAQBAJ&q=%E1%BC%B0%CE%AC%CE%BA%CF%89%CE%B2%CE%BF%CF%83+jacob&pg=PT160|title=Galatians: A Commentary|date=21 May 2019|publisher=Baker Academic|isbn=978-1-4934-1570-0|language=en}} and used as a diminutive (nickname) form for Jacob.{{Cite web|title=Name Kobe: Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity - Baby Names|url=https://www.babynames.com/name/kobe|access-date=2 June 2020|website=www.babynames.com|language=en}}

The Swahili meaning of the name Kobe translates to "tortoise" or "turtle".{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VDuAgAAQBAJ&q=turtle+in+swahili&pg=PA78|title=A handbook of the Swahili language, as spoken at Zanzibar|isbn=9781177635981|last1=Steere|first1=Edward|publisher=Рипол Классик }}{{Cite web|title=Turtle in Swahili - English-Swahili Dictionary|url=https://glosbe.com/|access-date=3 June 2020|website=Glosbe|language=en}} The Dutch meaning is similar to the Hebrew meaning but the name is a diminutive for Jakob instead of Jacob.{{Cite web|last=Campbell|first=Mike|title=Meaning, origin and history of the name Kobe (1)|url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/kobe-1|access-date=2 June 2020|website=Behind the Name}}

In Akan culture, "Kobi", "Kobbi", "Kobby" is a diminuitive of "Kobina" or "Kwabena". The Akan meaning of Kwabena means "Tuesday born male", following their day naming system. People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days. In the case of Tuesday borns, they are associated with the ocean.{{cite journal

| last = Bartle| first = Philip F. W. | title = Forty Days: The Akan Calendar

| journal = Africa: Journal of the International African Institute| volume = 48| issue = 1| pages = 80–84| publisher = Edinburgh University Press| date = January 1978| url = http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/rdi/kw-40.htm| doi = 10.2307/1158712| jstor = 1158712| s2cid = 143751434 }}{{Cite web|title=The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239815297|access-date=2021-04-04|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Kamunya|first=Mercy|date=2018-10-19|title=Akan names and their meanings|url=https://yen.com.gh/115080-akan-names-meanings.html|access-date=2021-04-04|website=Yen.com.gh - Ghana news.|language=en}} Kwabena has the appellation Ogyam or Ebo meaning friendliness.{{Cite web|date=2019-11-09|title='Day born names' in Dagbani, Ewe and Fante|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Day-born-names-in-Dagbani-Ewe-and-Fante-797733|access-date=2021-04-04|website=GhanaWeb|language=en}}

The use of the name has spiked with the popularity of American basketball player Kobe Bryant, with 14,000 children being given the name over his 20-year NBA career.{{Cite web|date=29 January 2016|title=You won't believe how many thousands of people are named after Kobe|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/you-wont-believe-how-many-thousands-of-people-are-named-after-kobe|access-date=23 November 2024|website=FOX Sports|language=en-US}} He was named after Kobe beef when his parents spotted it on a menu.{{Cite web|title=24 facts about amazing Kobe Bryant|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/24-facts-about-kobe-bryant/|access-date=6 June 2024|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=27 January 2020 |language=en}} Between 1985 and 1995 there were only 14 recorded births in the United States given this name. Later, there were 87 born with this name in 1996, the year in which Bryant was drafted into the NBA.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} According to the United states social security statistics from 2000 to 2018 it has declined in popularity in the United States, starting in the top 300, but down to 574th most common name in 2018.{{Cite web|last=OACT|title=Popular Baby Names|url=https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi|access-date=2 June 2020|website=www.ssa.gov|archive-date=2 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202070118/https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi|url-status=dead}}