Boy · #1,207 in 2026

Cory

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

As a given name, Cory is used by both males and females. It is a variation of the name Cora, meaning "(the) Maiden", which is a title of the goddess Persephone. The name also can have origins from the Gaelic word coire, which means "in a cauldron", or "in a hollow".

Current Rank

#1,207

Peak Rank

#59 (1989)

Total Babies

127K

5-Yr Trend

-28%

1932

First Year

2026

Last Year

1978

Peak Year

#603

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cory

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

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

The Story of Cory

Cory first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1924, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 6,450 Corys were born — ranking #61 that year. As of 2026, Cory ranks #1,207 for baby boys with 169 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 127K Corys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Cory

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cory 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 Cory

What does the name Cory mean?

How popular is Cory in 2026?

In 2026, Cory ranks #1,207 among boys' names in the U.S., with 169 babies given the name that year.

When was Cory most popular?

Cory reached its peak popularity in 1989, ranking #59 that year with 6,450 babies given the name.

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

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

Is Cory a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Cory?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cory include Eddie, Carlos, Colton. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Cory

Cory is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1924 and has accumulated 127K births in the dataset. Cory's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #59. Use the chart and map above to compare Cory's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

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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.