Nameling

Cora

Gender
Girl
Say it
KOR-a
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#116 for girls
US rank, 2025
#113 for girls

Big in Northern Ireland

Cora is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “maiden”. In 2025 it ranked 116th for girls in the UK (461 babies) and 113th for girls in the US (2,428 babies).

What does Cora mean?

Greek: from Greek kore, a title of Persephone

“maiden”

Popularised by Cora Munro, a heroine of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans (1826).

More on Wiktionary.

Is Cora a girl's or a boy's name?

Cora is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 461 girls in the UK and 2,428 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Cora in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#116among girls
Babies in 2025
461about 1 in 600 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 8% in five years
Same name in a class
2.3%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 461 girls in the UK were named Cora, making it the 116th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 126th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 487 girls.

Half of all the girls named Cora in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 501 girls in the UK were given Cora or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #126.

Among girls in 2025, it was 132nd in England and Wales, 77th in Scotland and 47th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 487 in 20242025
Cora in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025461#116
2024487#111
2023446#124
2022471#121
2021474#118
2020436#126
2019418#138
2018440#137
2017328#184
2016280#210
2015284#206
2014284#210
2013200#264
2012224#246
2011169#320
2010144#352
2009131#371
200896#474
200795#464
2006102#438
200595#435
200485#459
2003100#406
200266#501
200163#516
2000108#345
199984#416
199855#554
199731#822
199640#662

How popular is Cora in the US?

Rank in 2025
#113among girls
Babies in 2025
2,428about 1 in 660 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 24% in five years
Same name in a class
2.1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 2,428 girls in the US were named Cora, making it the 113th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 88th. Its busiest year was 2019, with 3,602 girls.

It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Cora than any year since 2012.

Half of all the girls named Cora in the US since 1880 were born between 1913 and 2013. It was already well used in 1880, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 3,241 girls in the US were given Cora or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #95, up from #113 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 3,602 in 20192025
Cora in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20252,428#113
20242,580#103
20232,751#93
20223,076#75
20213,008#87
20203,036#88
20193,602#71
20183,596#73
20173,446#83
20163,374#87
20153,403#88
20142,967#103
20132,586#127
20122,081#155
20111,555#203
20101,206#275
20091,100#303
20081,041#322
2007918#352
2006844#384
2005673#452
2004698#437
2003695#433
2002608#467
2001604#458
2000564#481
1999529#491
1998468#536
1997325#669
1996327#673
1995313#679
1994329#653
1993297#718
1992250#802
1991255#801
1990230#854
1989247#779
1988201#876
1987195#873
1986237#743
1985221#768
1984224#730
1983225#730
1982239#724
1981221#747
1980214#770
1979194#813
1978225#702
1977223#698
1976211#700
1975182#774
1974206#709
1973195#726
1972201#712
1971222#686
1970234#678
1969201#701
1968235#629
1967235#620
1966312#534
1965373#493
1964351#525
1963403#480
1962410#478
1961419#476
1960454#460
1959454#454
1958435#458
1957516#407
1956554#374
1955576#365
1954614#345
1953647#323
1952667#312
1951672#300
1950734#289
1949848#264
1948837#266
1947848#259
1946800#251
1945752#244
1944816#231
1943874#225
19421,002#202
19411,007#186
1940965#191
19391,040#183
19381,131#178
19371,141#176
19361,008#181
19351,071#175
19341,112#168
19331,157#157
19321,136#169
19311,185#160
19301,272#161
19291,389#153
19281,393#155
19271,493#158
19261,477#158
19251,679#150
19241,630#155
19231,691#149
19221,762#140
19211,828#140
19201,819#137
19191,940#122
19181,916#124
19171,737#126
19161,899#114
19151,683#119
19141,500#105
19131,288#103
19121,253#98
19111,022#91
19101,079#85
1909969#85
1908962#83
1907969#80
1906952#77
19051,044#72
1904993#70
1903986#70
19021,081#62
19011,027#58
19001,389#55
18991,056#58
18981,304#51
18971,246#49
18961,204#52
18951,295#49
18941,319#46
18931,308#44
18921,419#39
18911,343#35
18901,386#36
18891,365#32
18881,433#31
18871,257#27
18861,231#28
18851,253#23
18841,244#23
18831,081#24
18821,076#21
1881969#18
18801,045#15

Names like Cora

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Clara Nora Lola Cleo Ada Rosa Eva Nina Ophelia Callie Sadie Matilda

Other spellings of Cora

Kora Korra Corah Korah Khora Corra

Names related to Cora

Croia Cori

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe

Every Greek name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Cora: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/cora, updated 20 October 2026.