Cody is an Irish surname, from the Gaelic O Cuidighthigh, a byname that means "helpful" or "helper". Buffalo Bill Cody, the showman of the Wild West, gave the name its cowboy swagger, and it was a top 30 choice for American boys in the 1980s and 1990s. Cody ranked 60th in 2000, its last year in the top 100, and has slipped since to 318th place in 2025.