Save Type Settlement Usage Japanese Scripts 神戸(Japanese Kanji) こうべ(Japanese Hiragana) Pronounced Pron. KO-BEH [key·IPA] Meaning & History Possibly means "shrine supporters", in reference to the families who tended the local Ikuta Shrine. This is the name of a city in Japan. Related NamesFamily Tree·Details VariantsKobe, KoubeSame SpellingKobe