Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, he widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential rock musicians.
Meaning & Origin of Cobain
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, he widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential rock musicians.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cobain
American parents first put Cobain on the record books as a baby boy name in 2004, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 20 Cobains were born — ranking #4,744 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 61% of all recorded Cobains. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 195 Cobains have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Cobain
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cobain is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cobain
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About the name Cobain
Cobain is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2004 and has accumulated 195 births in the dataset. Cobain's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #4,744. Use the chart and map above to compare Cobain's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.