Meaning and background
The story behind Kodo
Kodo is the name of a Japanese taiko ensemble that explains two readings in its own account: heartbeat, and, in another context, children of the drum. The group connects the latter with its aim of approaching drumming with a child’s open-hearted simplicity. Its international debut was at Berliner Festspiele in 1981. A dog owner can choose Kodo after a performance or a fascination with rhythm, preserving the ensemble’s intended interpretations rather than claiming that every identically romanised Japanese personal name has both meanings.
- Association
- Japanese taiko ensemble whose own name explanation distinguishes heartbeat and, in another context, children of the drum. Source
Try Kodo out loud
Everyday moments“Kodo, come here!”
Say it as you would on a walk or at home. Does it feel natural alongside your usual commands and other pets’ names?
About Kodo
Recorded as a dog’s name
Kodo appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/koʊdoʊ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/koʊdoʊ/ · primary stress on syllable 1K OW1 D OW0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
Compare your favourites
Put Kodo beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Kodo
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.