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At a Glance
- Origin
- Uncertain — popularly marketed as Native American, but not independently verified
- Gender
- Neutral
- Pronunciation
- KOH-dah
Koda is a neutral, classic-style name often marketed as Native American, though that origin hasn't been independently confirmed. You may have come across the claim that it's a Native American word for 'friend' (sometimes glossed 'little bear'), but that isn't well substantiated — there's no documented tribal-language source, and the 'little bear' association likely comes from the bear cub character named Koda in Disney's Brother Bear rather than real etymology. It's pronounced KOH-dah.
Meaning & Origin of Koda
Origin: Uncertain — popularly marketed as Native American, but not independently verified.
A common claim: Koda is widely said to be a Native American word for 'friend' (sometimes glossed 'little bear'). Actually: This claim isn't well substantiated — no specific tribal-language source is documented, and the 'little bear' sense likely owes more to the bear cub character named Koda in Disney's Brother Bear than to genuine etymology.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Koda
KOH-dahIPA /ˈkoʊdə/
Popularity of Koda
Koda ranked #464 in 2024 with 665 babies given the name, down a bit from its recent peak of #412 in 2023 with 775 babies, based on Social Security data going back to 1984.
Names Like Koda
These names share Koda’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Koda mean?
Koda is widely said to be a Native American word for ‘friend’ (sometimes glossed ‘little bear’). This claim isn’t well substantiated — no specific tribal-language source is documented, and the ‘little bear’ sense likely owes more to the bear cub character named Koda in Disney’s Brother Bear than to genuine etymology.
How do you pronounce Koda?
Koda is pronounced KOH-dah (IPA: /ˈkoʊdə/).
Is Koda a popular name right now?
Koda is near its all-time peak (#412 in 2023), ranked #464 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1984–2024.)
Make Koda Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Koda, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Koda? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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