Girl · #3,444 in 2026

Cornelia

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

Cornelia is a feminine given name. It is a feminine form of the name Cornelius or Cornelis. Nel, Nele, Nelly, Corey, Cornie, Lia, or Nelia can be used as a shortened version of Cornelia. Conny, Connie, Nele, or Neele are popular German short forms used in their own right. Lia and Corrie are diminutive versions of the Dutch name.

Current Rank

#3,444

Peak Rank

#147 (1921)

Total Babies

22K

5-Yr Trend

+18%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1921

Peak Year

#147

Peak Rank

22K

Total Count

147

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cornelia

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

In ancient Rome , Cornelia was the nomen gentilicium of women born into the gens Cornelia . This gens was widespread and some notable members of it include; Cornelia Africana (mother of the Gracchi brothers ), Cornelia (first wife of Julius Caesar ) and Cornelia Salonina ( Roman empress as the wife of Gallienus ).

The Story of Cornelia

Cornelia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 94 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 477 Cornelias were born — ranking #300 that year. As of 2026, Cornelia ranks #3,444 for baby girls with 45 births, rising sharply (+18% over the past five years). In total, more than 22K Cornelias 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 Cornelia

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

Cornelius
Cornelious
Cornella
Cornelian
Cornea
Camelia
Corneal
Kamelia
Corneille
Carnelian
Carmela
Carmella

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cornelia

What does the name Cornelia mean?

How popular is Cornelia in 2026?

In 2026, Cornelia ranks #3,444 among girls' names in the U.S., with 45 babies given the name that year.

When was Cornelia most popular?

Cornelia reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #147 that year with 477 babies given the name.

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

Cornelia has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, South Carolina, Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cornelia.

Is Cornelia a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Cornelia?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cornelia include Tillie, Anastasia, Tracie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cornelia

Cornelia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 22K births in the dataset. Cornelia's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #147. Use the chart and map above to compare Cornelia'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.