Cora
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…
Every Cora since 1880 — 156,415 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Cora
Cora is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #113 in 2025 with 2,428 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 156,415 American babies have been named Cora. Its peak came in 2019, when 3,602 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cora stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Cora year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,428 | #113 | — | — |
| 2024 | 2,580 | #103 | — | — |
| 2023 | 2,751 | #93 | — | — |
| 2022 | 3,076 | #75 | — | — |
| 2021 | 3,008 | #87 | — | — |
| 2020 | 3,036 | #88 | — | — |
| 2019 | 3,602 | #71 | — | — |
| 2018 | 3,596 | #73 | — | — |
| 2017 | 3,446 | #83 | — | — |
| 2016 | 3,374 | #87 | — | — |
| 2015 | 3,403 | #88 | 6 | #10,943 |
| 2014 | 2,967 | #103 | 5 | #12,441 |
| 2013 | 2,586 | #127 | — | — |
| 2012 | 2,081 | #155 | — | — |
| 2011 | 1,555 | #203 | — | — |
| 2010 | 1,206 | #275 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,100 | #303 | — | — |
| 2008 | 1,041 | #323 | — | — |
| 2007 | 918 | #353 | — | — |
| 2006 | 844 | #384 | — | — |
| 2005 | 673 | #452 | — | — |
| 2004 | 698 | #437 | — | — |
| 2003 | 695 | #434 | — | — |
| 2002 | 608 | #467 | — | — |
| 2001 | 604 | #460 | — | — |
| 2000 | 564 | #481 | — | — |
| 1995 | 313 | #679 | — | — |
| 1990 | 230 | #856 | — | — |
| 1985 | 221 | #768 | — | — |
| 1980 | 214 | #770 | — | — |
| 1975 | 182 | #775 | — | — |
| 1970 | 234 | #678 | — | — |
| 1965 | 373 | #493 | — | — |
| 1960 | 454 | #460 | — | — |
| 1955 | 576 | #365 | — | — |
| 1950 | 734 | #289 | — | — |
| 1945 | 752 | #244 | 5 | #3,408 |
| 1940 | 965 | #191 | 10 | #2,356 |
| 1935 | 1,071 | #175 | 11 | #2,276 |
| 1930 | 1,272 | #161 | 8 | #3,073 |
| 1925 | 1,679 | #150 | 6 | #3,827 |
| 1920 | 1,819 | #137 | — | — |
| 1915 | 1,683 | #119 | 8 | #2,871 |
| 1910 | 1,079 | #85 | 5 | #1,642 |
| 1905 | 1,044 | #72 | — | — |
| 1900 | 1,389 | #55 | 8 | #981 |
| 1895 | 1,295 | #49 | 9 | #749 |
| 1890 | 1,386 | #36 | 9 | #678 |
| 1885 | 1,253 | #23 | 5 | #969 |
| 1880 | 1,045 | #15 | 6 | #835 |
Famous people named Cora
- Cora Sandel Writer · 1880–1974
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Cora mean?
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…
How popular is the name Cora in 2025?
Cora ranked #113 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,428 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Cora?
156,415 babies have been named Cora in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Cora most popular?
Cora peaked in 2019, when 3,602 newborns received the name.
Is Cora a boy or girl name?
Cora is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Cora rising or falling?
Cora has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Cora?
Well-known people named Cora include Cora Sandel (writer).