The baby name Cody became a 1990s favorite, but what explains this name’s rise to the top?
Thanks to Cody for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME CODY MEAN?
Like plenty of favorites, Cody started out as an Irish surname. It might come from Mac Oda, which means son of Óda or Odo. That makes this the baby name Cody another cousin to Otto, just like Otis and Elodie.
Other possibilities exist. It might come from another Irish origin, which explains meanings like “son of the helper,” from an unwieldy given name. If you were a descendant of Cuidightheach, then you were the “son of the helpful person.”
It’s not exclusively an Irish surname, though.
French place names, too, might end up spelled Cody in English. Think of Côte d’Ivoire – the Ivory Coast. Several topographic names could’ve been imported as Coty or Cody.
When it comes to baby name inspiration, there’s one figure that defined the name’s image: Buffalo Bill Cody.
POP CULTURE ORIGINS OF THE NAME CODY
Before we get to Bill, let’s talk about Samuel Franklin Cowdery.
Born in 1867, Cowdery later became known as Samuel Cody. He became an early pioneer of flight.
Prior to the outbreak of the first world war, he developed Cody War-Kites. The British used them for artillery spotting. He became the first man to fly a British-built airplane, in 1908.
Cowdery borrowed his surname from scout, soldier, and showman Buffalo Bill.
While still in his early 20s, William Frederick Cody started performing as Buffalo Bill, touring hte United States and (eventually) Europe, too. Buffalo Bill’s Wild Westfeatured rodeo skills and historical reenactments, among other attractions.
The show was a smash hit, and cemented the baby name Cody as a strong, capable name borrowed from the American West.
THE BABY NAME CODY ON THE SILVER SCREEN
The baby name Cody was in sparing use until the 1950s, when it started to climb.
One possible explanation? The 1948 American movie White Heat, a film noir starring James Cagney as gang leader Arthur “Cody” Jarrett.
Along with his every-bit-as-ruthless mother, Ma Jarrett, Cody and his crew rob a train and face off against the law, among other misdeeds.
He eventually goes out in a blaze of glory.
Did the movie influence the name’s use?
Some. But when the name accelerated in use, it would be decades later, propelled by sound and style as much as pop culture.
POP CULTURE CODY
Then again, pop culture has been kind to the baby name Cody.
Famous figures include plenty of athletes, as well as:
- Pro wrestler Cody Rhodes, known as the King of the Ring
- Reality television series Sister Wives‘ Kody Brown has a been a small screen celebrity since the series debuted in 2010
- Christopher Cody is older brother to singer/superstar Miley Cyrus. But unlike Miley and their sister Noah, and dad Billy Ray Cyrus, he’s stayed out of the spotlight
- Fictional character Cody Banks is a regular teenager and an extraordinary superspy played by child star Frankie Muniz
- The penguin at the heart of the Surf’s Up movies is called CodyMaverick
In 1952 and 1953, a series of sci fi movies featured Commando Cody. During the 1960s, Commander Cody and His Lost Airmen were a country rock band. And in the 21st century, the extended Star Wars universe gave us a different Commander Cody in Clone Wars.
Spellings like Coty, Codie, Codi, Kodie, and Codey would extend the list even more. Plus, the baby name Cody is a potential nickname for Dakota – at least based on sound, if not spelling.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME CODY?
In terms of popularity, the baby name Cody was given to a handful of boys most years beginning in the 1880s, when data is first reported.
That tracks with the appeal of nearly any Irish or English origin surname.
Modest increases in use coincide with the popularity of Buffalo Bill Cody, as well as the fictional Cody Jarrett.
The name’s peak popularity during the late 20th century is mostly about style and sound. It soared during the 1980s into the early 1990s. The baby name Cody peaked in the early 1990s, ranking as high as #24.
That makes Cody a brother for Kyle and Shane, and a classmate to Cory/Corey, Casey, Colin, Cole, and Chad.
As of 2024, Cody came in at #289.
While it never made the Top 1000 baby girl names in the US, it was sometimes considered unisex. Cody trended for girls in the UK, and the name was heard for both boys and girls, elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
1990s FAVORITE
A popular name for an earlier generation, Cody blends swagger and softness. It’s the kind of name that still fits in nicely now, and feels likely to rediscovered in a few more generations.
It could still be the perfect name to honor a loved one, or to hit that familiar-but-not-shared note.
What do you think of the baby name Cody?
