Cora

Girl name

Cora has been given to 156,415 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2019 and currently ranks #113 for girls (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈkɔːɹə/

Apparently brought up in English literature by James Fenimore Cooper in The Last of the Mohicans (1826), but compare a female heroine of this name in Jean-François Marmontel's Les Incas (1777) and the Ancient Greek epithet Κόρη (Kórē) for Περσεφόνη (Persephónē). It could also refer directly to κόρη (kórē, “maiden”).

Origin: Ancient Greek

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

156,415

Peak year

2019 (3,602 babies)

Rank in 2025

#113 for girls

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -29%

Gender split

100% girls / 0% boys

Famous people named Cora

Koko Taylor

American Chicago blues musician

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Cora.

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