Koda is usually explained through the Dakota and Lakota word for "friend" or "ally", the same root as the name Dakota; it is also known as the bear cub in Disney's Brother Bear (2003). Its soft, outdoorsy sound ties it to Bodhi, Kai and other nature-flavored names. Koda entered the US top 1000 in 2016 and climbed to number 411 in 2023, a rank it holds again in 2025.