Fun Facts About the Name Cora
- A favorite of earlier generations: Cora appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 42 years. Its last run lasted 9 consecutive years, from 2015 through 2023.
- More than 156 thousand babies named Cora: U.S. records list 156,392 babies given the name Cora from 1880 through 2025. Even 387 boys received the name Cora - about 1 boy for every 403 girls.
What Does the Name Cora Mean?
Cora is an English form of the Greek name Κόρη (Kore), which means 'maiden' or 'young woman.' In Greek mythology, Kore was the name used for Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, as a young unmarried woman before she became queen of the underworld. Cora is sometimes used as a short form of the Greek name Corinna, which is linked to the same root, and occasionally as a short form of the Latin name Cornelia, whose meaning is uncertain and unrelated. An association with the Latin word cor, 'heart,' is a symbolic interpretation rather than a documented etymology.
Cora Name History & Origins
The name Cora comes from the Greek word κόρη (kore), meaning 'maiden,' which served as a title for the goddess Persephone. In ancient Greek religion, Persephone was called Kore as the maiden daughter of Demeter before her marriage to Hades, and the name appears in Greek texts in that role. The Latinized form Cora was adopted in English and other European languages, and Cora became established as a given name in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. James Fenimore Cooper used the name for Cora Munro in The Last of the Mohicans (1826), a well-known literary appearance rather than the name's origin. Cora has also been used in German-speaking Europe.
How Popular is the Name Cora?
Cora ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1880 through 1912, then returned in 2015 and remained through 2023.
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 | #113 | 2,428 | 0.1511% |
| 2024 | #102 | 2,570 | 0.1593% |
| 2023 | #93 | 2,749 | 0.1715% |
| 2022 | #75 | 3,073 | 0.1875% |
| 2021 | #87 | 3,005 | 0.1833% |
| 2020 | #88 | 3,034 | 0.1878% |
| 2019 | #71 | 3,601 | 0.2147% |
| 2018 | #73 | 3,596 | 0.2115% |
| 2017 | #83 | 3,445 | 0.1996% |
| 2016 | #87 | 3,373 | 0.1904% |
| 2015 | #88 | 3,403 | 0.1907% |
| 2014 | #103 | 2,967 | 0.1661% |
| 2013 | #126 | 2,586 | 0.1474% |
| 2012 | #155 | 2,081 | 0.1182% |
| 2011 | #203 | 1,555 | 0.0884% |
| 2010 | #275 | 1,206 | 0.0679% |
| 2009 | #303 | 1,100 | 0.0599% |
| 2008 | #323 | 1,041 | 0.0551% |
| 2007 | #353 | 918 | 0.0478% |
| 2006 | #384 | 844 | 0.0444% |
| 2005 | #452 | 673 | 0.0364% |
| 2004 | #437 | 698 | 0.0380% |
| 2003 | #434 | 695 | 0.0380% |
| 2002 | #467 | 608 | 0.0338% |
| 2001 | #460 | 604 | 0.0335% |
| 2000 | #481 | 564 | 0.0311% |
| 1999 | #491 | 529 | 0.0298% |
| 1998 | #536 | 468 | 0.0265% |
| 1997 | #669 | 325 | 0.0187% |
| 1996 | #673 | 327 | 0.0187% |
| 1995 | #679 | 313 | 0.0178% |
| 1994 | #654 | 329 | 0.0184% |
| 1993 | #718 | 297 | 0.0164% |
| 1992 | #807 | 249 | 0.0135% |
| 1991 | #803 | 255 | 0.0136% |
| 1990 | #856 | 230 | 0.0121% |
| 1989 | #782 | 247 | 0.0134% |
| 1988 | #878 | 201 | 0.0113% |
| 1987 | #873 | 195 | 0.0112% |
| 1986 | #743 | 237 | 0.0138% |
| 1985 | #768 | 221 | 0.0128% |
| 1984 | #731 | 224 | 0.0133% |
| 1983 | #730 | 225 | 0.0135% |
| 1982 | #724 | 239 | 0.0141% |
| 1981 | #749 | 221 | 0.0132% |
| 1980 | #770 | 214 | 0.0129% |
| 1979 | #814 | 194 | 0.0121% |
| 1978 | #702 | 225 | 0.0147% |
| 1977 | #699 | 223 | 0.0145% |
| 1976 | #700 | 211 | 0.0144% |
| 1975 | #775 | 182 | 0.0125% |
| 1974 | #709 | 206 | 0.0140% |
| 1973 | #725 | 196 | 0.0134% |
| 1972 | #712 | 201 | 0.0132% |
| 1971 | #687 | 222 | 0.0133% |
| 1970 | #678 | 234 | 0.0134% |
| 1969 | #703 | 201 | 0.0119% |
| 1968 | #630 | 235 | 0.0143% |
| 1967 | #620 | 235 | 0.0142% |
| 1966 | #534 | 312 | 0.0184% |
| 1965 | #493 | 373 | 0.0211% |
| 1964 | #525 | 351 | 0.0185% |
| 1963 | #480 | 403 | 0.0209% |
| 1962 | #479 | 410 | 0.0208% |
| 1961 | #476 | 419 | 0.0208% |
| 1960 | #460 | 454 | 0.0225% |
| 1959 | #454 | 454 | 0.0224% |
| 1958 | #458 | 435 | 0.0216% |
| 1957 | #407 | 516 | 0.0252% |
| 1956 | #374 | 554 | 0.0276% |
| 1955 | #365 | 576 | 0.0295% |
| 1954 | #346 | 614 | 0.0316% |
| 1953 | #323 | 647 | 0.0344% |
| 1952 | #312 | 667 | 0.0360% |
| 1951 | #300 | 672 | 0.0373% |
| 1950 | #289 | 734 | 0.0428% |
| 1949 | #264 | 848 | 0.0496% |
| 1948 | #266 | 837 | 0.0493% |
| 1947 | #259 | 848 | 0.0478% |
| 1946 | #251 | 800 | 0.0509% |
| 1945 | #244 | 752 | 0.0575% |
| 1944 | #231 | 816 | 0.0615% |
| 1943 | #225 | 874 | 0.0626% |
| 1942 | #202 | 1,002 | 0.0742% |
| 1941 | #186 | 1,007 | 0.0834% |
| 1940 | #191 | 965 | 0.0844% |
| 1939 | #183 | 1,040 | 0.0948% |
| 1938 | #178 | 1,131 | 0.1025% |
| 1937 | #176 | 1,141 | 0.1072% |
| 1936 | #181 | 1,008 | 0.0969% |
| 1935 | #175 | 1,071 | 0.1021% |
| 1934 | #168 | 1,112 | 0.1065% |
| 1933 | #157 | 1,157 | 0.1148% |
| 1932 | #169 | 1,136 | 0.1065% |
| 1931 | #160 | 1,185 | 0.1113% |
| 1930 | #161 | 1,272 | 0.1130% |
| 1929 | #153 | 1,389 | 0.1244% |
| 1928 | #155 | 1,393 | 0.1208% |
| 1927 | #158 | 1,493 | 0.1252% |
| 1926 | #158 | 1,477 | 0.1246% |
| 1925 | #150 | 1,679 | 0.1379% |
| 1924 | #155 | 1,630 | 0.1305% |
| 1923 | #149 | 1,691 | 0.1402% |
| 1922 | #140 | 1,762 | 0.1467% |
| 1921 | #140 | 1,828 | 0.1482% |
| 1920 | #137 | 1,819 | 0.1518% |
| 1919 | #122 | 1,940 | 0.1717% |
| 1918 | #124 | 1,916 | 0.1655% |
| 1917 | #126 | 1,737 | 0.1606% |
| 1916 | #114 | 1,899 | 0.1818% |
| 1915 | #119 | 1,683 | 0.1711% |
| 1914 | #105 | 1,500 | 0.1970% |
| 1913 | #103 | 1,288 | 0.2062% |
| 1912 | #98 | 1,253 | 0.2245% |
| 1911 | #91 | 1,022 | 0.2443% |
| 1910 | #85 | 1,079 | 0.2721% |
| 1909 | #85 | 969 | 0.2791% |
| 1908 | #83 | 962 | 0.2878% |
| 1907 | #80 | 969 | 0.3042% |
| 1906 | #77 | 952 | 0.3224% |
| 1905 | #72 | 1,044 | 0.3580% |
| 1904 | #70 | 993 | 0.3606% |
| 1903 | #70 | 986 | 0.3764% |
| 1902 | #62 | 1,081 | 0.4094% |
| 1901 | #58 | 1,027 | 0.4291% |
| 1900 | #55 | 1,389 | 0.4633% |
| 1899 | #58 | 1,056 | 0.4532% |
| 1898 | #51 | 1,304 | 0.5039% |
| 1897 | #49 | 1,246 | 0.5320% |
| 1896 | #52 | 1,204 | 0.5061% |
| 1895 | #49 | 1,295 | 0.5543% |
| 1894 | #46 | 1,319 | 0.5917% |
| 1893 | #44 | 1,308 | 0.6144% |
| 1892 | #39 | 1,419 | 0.6683% |
| 1891 | #35 | 1,343 | 0.7241% |
| 1890 | #36 | 1,386 | 0.7280% |
| 1889 | #32 | 1,365 | 0.7653% |
| 1888 | #31 | 1,433 | 0.8023% |
| 1887 | #27 | 1,257 | 0.8611% |
| 1886 | #28 | 1,231 | 0.8517% |
| 1885 | #23 | 1,253 | 0.9417% |
| 1884 | #23 | 1,244 | 0.9642% |
| 1883 | #24 | 1,081 | 0.9624% |
| 1882 | #21 | 1,076 | 0.9977% |
| 1881 | #18 | 969 | 1.0538% |
| 1880 | #15 | 1,045 | 1.1484% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | #10,941 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #12,439 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #5,040 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #3,107 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #3,380 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1945 | #3,408 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #2,751 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1941 | #3,600 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #2,356 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1938 | #2,213 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1936 | #2,203 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1935 | #2,276 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #3,777 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #2,010 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1932 | #3,455 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #2,511 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1930 | #3,073 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1929 | #3,039 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #2,183 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1927 | #3,518 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1925 | #3,827 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #3,316 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1923 | #3,532 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,944 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #4,472 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1919 | #3,471 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #2,727 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #1,835 | 17 | 0.0018% |
| 1916 | #2,413 | 11 | 0.0012% |
| 1915 | #2,871 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #3,351 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1912 | #2,626 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| 1910 | #1,642 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1908 | #1,134 | 7 | 0.0045% |
| 1907 | #1,015 | 8 | 0.0054% |
| 1906 | #1,031 | 7 | 0.0053% |
| 1903 | #800 | 9 | 0.0075% |
| 1900 | #981 | 8 | 0.0053% |
| 1895 | #749 | 9 | 0.0077% |
| 1894 | #880 | 7 | 0.0060% |
| 1892 | #1,101 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1891 | #866 | 6 | 0.0059% |
| 1890 | #678 | 9 | 0.0081% |
| 1889 | #815 | 7 | 0.0063% |
| 1888 | #713 | 9 | 0.0074% |
| 1886 | #867 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1885 | #969 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| 1884 | #673 | 9 | 0.0079% |
| 1881 | #722 | 7 | 0.0069% |
| 1880 | #835 | 6 | 0.0054% |
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.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Cora
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Cora Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Cora's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cora's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.