Girl · #3,444 in 2026

Cornelia

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.

  • German
  • Romanian
  • Italian
  • Dutch
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.

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.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • German
  • Romanian
  • Italian
  • Dutch
  • English
  • Ancient Roman
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. The name hit its high-water mark in 1921: 477 births, good for #300 nationwide. As of 2026, Cornelia ranks #3,444 for baby girls with 45 births, rising sharply (+18% over the past five years). All told, over 22K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Cornelia

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cornelia. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

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.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cornelia

What does the name Cornelia mean?
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.
What is the origin of the name Cornelia?
Cornelia has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: German, Romanian, Italian, Dutch, English, Ancient Roman.
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.
What are nicknames or variants of Cornelia?
Common variants and related forms of Cornelia include Cokkie, Cora, Corrie, Corry, Kora, Kornelia. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Tillie
Peak #147
👧
Anastasia
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👧
Tracie
Peak #147
👧
Doreen
Peak #147
👧
Sasha
Peak #147
👧
Faye
Peak #146
👧
Juliana
Peak #146
👧
Alejandra
Peak #145

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.