Cory
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".
- English
Meaning & Origin of Cory
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
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".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Cory
The earliest SSA record of Cory as a baby boy name dates back to 1924, when 7 babies received it. 1989 was its biggest year on record, with 6,450 newborns named Cory — #61 in the national rankings. About 35% of every Cory on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Cory ranks #1,207 for baby boys with 169 births, falling sharply (-28%). All told, over 127K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Cory
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cory. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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
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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.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.