According to one theory, the name of has the root chot-, chod- (meaning 'to guard', from the word chodit = 'to walk') and is derived from the guarding of the trade route from Prague to southern Bohemia that led through Chotobuš locality in what is today the town of Dobříš.

[2] The longest tributaries of the Kocába are:[3] The river flows through the municipal territories of Dubno, Dubenec, Drásov, Višňová, Ouběnice, Daleké Dušníky, Rybníky, Stará Huť, Mokrovraty, Nový Knín, Malá Hraštice, Velká Lečice, Bojanovice, Bratřínov, Slapy and Štěchovice.

The largest of them is the fishpond Huťský rybník with an area of 31.1 ha (77 acres), built on the stream of Sychrovský potok.

[4] In the Middle Ages, the banks of the Kocába were popular for gold panning.

After World War I, the valley of the Kocába became a popular destinations for tramps.