Coby is a short form of Jacob, the Hebrew name usually explained as "holder of the heel" or "supplanter", and it is also a C-spelling of Kobe, the Japanese city name made famous by Kobe Bryant. Both routes lead to a friendly, two-syllable name that peaked during Bryant's early career. Coby ranked number 529 in 2000, reached number 462 in 2001 and has drifted down to number 1874 in 2025, with 84 boys given the name.