Cody
An Irish surname that can come from a Gaelic family name or, in some cases, from English place-name forms.
The #1,828 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,752 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Cody is usually treated as an Irish name, often linked to Gaelic forms such as Ó Cuidighthigh or related spellings that were anglicized in many ways, including Cody and Coady. In some English records, however, Cody can also be a variant of local surnames such as those derived from place-names like Codhay or Codnor. Because the same spelling can reflect different origins, the name is best understood as having more than one possible source.
History
In Ireland, Cody became established as an anglicized surname, especially in counties where forms like Cuddy, Cuddihy, and Coady appear alongside it in older records. In English sources, the spelling is sometimes treated as a variant of place-derived names rather than a single family line. The surname is now most familiar in Ireland and among Irish-descended families in the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old Irish surname lists often group Cody with several closely related anglicized forms, showing how flexible surname spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“Two Shoes.' V, Good (al. WUIiam Cody, co. Sams, i Edw, III : Kirby'i Qncrt, p. 113. H,irieSrSoaay. .379; ?■ T. Yorks. WxTldnnu Goday, 1379 : Ibid. p. 3».”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instancesNotable people named Cody
- Buffalo Bill (1846–1917)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.