Girl · #101 in 2026

Cora

Name: Popularity of the name Cora in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Cora, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Cora is a given name with multiple origins. It was used by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans. It is today most commonly viewed as a variant name derived from the Ancient Greek Κόρη (Kórē), an epithet of the Greek goddess Persephone.

Current Rank

#101

Peak Rank

#15 (2019)

Total Babies

159K

5-Yr Trend

-19%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

2019

Peak Year

#15

Peak Rank

159K

Total Count

147

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cora

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

The current name Cora may be derived from a variety of origins. Its most prominent antecedents, however, lie in ancient Greece.

The Story of Cora

Cora first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 1,045 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 3,601 Coras were born — ranking #71 that year. As of 2026, Cora ranks #101 for baby girls with 2,537 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 159K Coras have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cora

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cora is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cora

What does the name Cora mean?

How popular is Cora in 2026?

In 2026, Cora ranks #101 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,537 babies given the name that year.

When was Cora most popular?

Cora reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking #15 that year with 3,601 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Cora most popular?

Cora has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cora.

Is Cora a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Cora is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Cora?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cora include Mabel, Lily, Aubrey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cora

Cora is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 159K births in the dataset. Cora's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #15. Use the chart and map above to compare Cora's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.