Boy’s name · German

Kolbe

How to say it: KOHL-bee · /ˈkoʊlbiː/

From German surname meaning 'club, cudgel' - adopted as modern masculine first name in the US.

Kolbe was the 1,568th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 80 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 15% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,320 by 2030.

Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures

#1,568for boys in 2025
1 in 41,441US babies
80born in 2025
#1,320projected for 2030
2020sits peak decade
under 1 in 200chance a classmate shares it

Key facts

Key facts about Kolbe
Rank among boys’ names, 2025#1,568
Babies born in 202580
Share of births1 in 41,441
Peak decade2020s
Change over 10 years+15%
Projected rank for 2030 (estimate)#1,320

Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.

Its life, decade by decade

Kolbe is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.

1900195020002020–25
Peak: 42 per million births, 2020s.

What goes with it

Nicknames

  • Kol
  • Bo

Honouring a Kolbe in the family

In the classroom

In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Kolbe is about under 1 in 200.

Around the world

This spelling is used in English, German.

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