Fun Facts About the Name Kodiak
- 790 babies named Kodiak: U.S. records list 790 babies given the name Kodiak from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kodiak Mean?
Kodiak is an English name taken from the place name Kodiak Island in Alaska, and its established meaning, "island," comes from that source. The island's name belongs to the Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) language of the Native people of the Kodiak Archipelago, who know the island by a name commonly written Qikertaq, also rendered Qiqertaq. That Alutiiq term is customarily translated as "island," which is the meaning usually given for the name. The literal sense of the Alutiiq word is not fully settled, so "island" is best understood as the traditional translation rather than a precise word-for-word rendering.
Kodiak Name History & Origins
Kodiak entered English by way of Russian. Russian fur traders reached the island in the 1760s - Stepan Glotov's party made contact in 1763 - and in 1784 Grigory Shelikhov founded a settlement at Three Saints Bay. Russian records spelled the name Kadiak, and the modern American spelling Kodiak developed from that form. Kodiak Island is the second-largest island in the United States, and it served as the administrative center of Russian America before the capital moved to Sitka (Novo-Arkhangelsk) in 1808.
The island also gave its name to the Kodiak bear, the large brown bear of the archipelago, so the animal is named after the place rather than the reverse. As a personal name, Kodiak is a modern American use drawn directly from the Alaskan place name rather than an inherited given name with its own long history of use.
How Popular is the Name Kodiak?
Kodiak has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2019. Its best rank was #2,595 in 1994.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,905 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #3,928 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2023 | #3,945 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #3,186 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2021 | #3,151 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2020 | #3,871 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2019 | #3,027 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2018 | #3,138 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2017 | #3,555 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2016 | #4,052 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #5,634 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #4,468 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #4,900 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #5,393 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #5,102 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #5,155 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #4,519 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #4,828 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #5,123 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #5,965 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #6,899 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #4,353 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #4,210 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #3,986 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #5,034 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #4,310 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #5,514 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #3,788 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #3,677 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #3,768 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #3,061 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #2,595 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1993 | #4,362 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #4,466 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #4,637 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #6,844 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #5,406 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #7,961 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kodiak Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Kodiak's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kodiak's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.