Boy name · Irish Gaelic
Cody
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: descendant of the helpful oneCody is a boy's name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the helpful one". It is used in English and Irish.
- Meaning
- Descendant of the helpful one
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #318 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Cody
As a boy's name, Cody comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the helpful one". It is used in English and Irish.
Cody is also a surname: the 1,922nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 18,338 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Cody on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Cody on 2 lists.
“Irish for helper; Buffalo Bill's family name”
From Redneck names for boys, cowboy names for boys
“Irish, descendant of the helpful one; Buffalo Bill's surname”
From Cowboy names, western boy names
How popular is Cody?
- US rank in 2025
- #318
- 1,076 babies, 630 per million boys
- Best rank
- #24 in 1991
- Most babies: 19,876 in 1992
- Babies since 1884
- At least 292,009
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 16 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 10 per million |
| 1900s | 8 per million |
| 1910s | 23 per million |
| 1920s | 18 per million |
| 1930s | 19 per million |
| 1940s | 18 per million |
| 1950s | 35 per million |
| 1960s | 88 per million |
| 1970s | 577 per million |
| 1980s | 3,266 per million |
| 1990s | 7,520 per million |
| 2000s | 2,449 per million |
| 2010s | 899 per million |
| 2020s | 642 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #255 | #278 | #280 | #285 | #297 | #312 | #302 | #304 | #289 | #318 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Cody
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- DoyleDescendant of the dark stranger (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FlynnDescendant of the ruddy one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- QuinnDescendant of Conn (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- AmhlaidhAncestor's descendant (Old Norse, boy)
- AulayAncestor's descendant (Old Norse, boy)
- CallanFrom a surname meaning descendant of Cathalán (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CollinsFrom a surname meaning descendant of Coileán, whelp, young dog (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- LeifHeir, descendant (Old Norse, boy)
- OlafAncestor's descendant (Old Norse, boy)
- OlavAncestor's descendant (Old Norse, boy)
- OlofAncestor's descendant (Old Norse, boy)
Middle names for Cody
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BarryFair-haired (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- BrendanA prince (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CaseyVigilant, watchful (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- CassidyCurly-haired (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConnorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConorLover of hounds (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DeclanMeaning unknown, though likely begins with Old Irish dag, good (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Cody: common questions
What does the name Cody mean?
Cody comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the helpful one".
Is Cody a boy or girl name?
Cody is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 22 girls and 1,076 boys in the US were named Cody, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Cody come from?
Cody comes from Irish Gaelic and means "descendant of the helpful one". Today it is used in English and Irish.
How popular is the name Cody?
Cody ranked #318 in the US in 2025, with 1,076 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Cody?
Names spelled like Cody include Cade, Chuy, Cole, Colm and Colt.
What middle names go with Cody?
Middle names that flow well with Cody include Archer, Atticus, Burton, Emmanuel and Matthew. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.