Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1921

Cornelia

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #3,138 Trend ↑ Rising 33%

A female given name from Latin in quiet use since the 18th century.

Rank 2025
#3,138
among girls · ↑700 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
51
named Cornelia · +31% vs 2024
How common
1 in 31,515
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1921
477 babies
All-time total
22,102
#996 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Cornelia popularity over time

22,102 babies have been named Cornelia since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 1,020 – 1,020 102 – #147
1890s 1,332 – 1,332 133 +31% #207
1900s 1,630 – 1,630 163 +22% #224
1910s 3,455 – 3,455 346 +112% #266
1920s 3,951 14 3,965 397 +15% #300
1930s 2,731 7 2,738 274 -31% #371
1940s 2,509 – 2,509 251 -8% #420
1950s 1,813 – 1,813 181 -28% #588
1960s 1,310 5 1,315 132 -27% #749
1970s 700 – 700 70 -47% #1,184
1980s 526 – 526 53 -25% #1,869
1990s 320 – 320 32 -39% #2,218
2000s 228 – 228 23 -29% #4,556
2010s 293 – 293 29 +29% #3,564
2020s (to 2025) 258 – 258 43 +47% #3,107

Where Cornelia is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 53 0.03 outside top 500
2027 55 0.03 outside top 500
2028 57 0.04 outside top 500
2029 59 0.04 outside top 500
2030 60 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Cornelia

Cornelia is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,138 in 2025 with 51 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 22,102 American babies have been named Cornelia. Its peak came in 1921, when 477 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Cornelia stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cornelia?

The median living Cornelia is about 67 years old; half are between 50 and 79. An estimated 7,400 people named Cornelia are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cornelia 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 51 #3,138 – –
2024 39 #3,838 – –
2023 53 #3,107 – –
2022 37 #3,985 – –
2021 43 #3,562 – –
2020 35 #4,027 – –
2019 43 #3,564 – –
2018 32 #4,374 – –
2017 32 #4,414 – –
2016 36 #4,107 – –
2015 28 #4,883 – –
2014 25 #5,347 – –
2013 37 #4,021 – –
2012 18 #6,934 – –
2011 18 #6,924 – –
2010 24 #5,653 – –
2009 21 #6,366 – –
2008 31 #4,787 – –
2007 16 #7,816 – –
2006 23 #5,761 – –
2005 23 #5,482 – –
2004 15 #7,481 – –
2003 25 #4,974 – –
2002 25 #4,798 – –
2001 23 #5,049 – –
2000 26 #4,556 – –
1995 33 #3,372 – –
1990 36 #3,090 – –
1985 45 #2,261 – –
1980 52 #2,021 – –
1975 56 #1,690 – –
1970 86 #1,272 – –
1965 117 #945 – –
1960 169 #786 – –
1955 175 #714 – –
1950 205 #588 – –
1945 241 #460 – –
1940 251 #429 – –
1935 264 #398 – –
1930 331 #371 – –
1925 397 #336 8 #3,199
1920 453 #307 – –
1915 394 #291 – –
1910 202 #273 – –
1905 165 #252 – –
1900 200 #224 – –
1895 127 #244 – –
1890 123 #218 – –
1885 98 #190 – –
1880 94 #147 – –

Famous people named Cornelia

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Cornelia Cornelia Wife of Julius Caesar (c. 97 – c. 69 BC) -97–-69 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Cornelia Funke Cornelia Funke German author of children's fiction (born 1958) Contemporary
  3. 3 Cornelia Sorabji Cornelia Sorabji Indian barrister, writer, and social reformer (1866–1954) 19th century
  4. 4 Cornelia Fort Cornelia Fort American aviator (1919–1943) Contemporary
  5. 5 Cornelia Froboess Cornelia Froboess German actress b. 1943 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Cornelia Salonina Cornelia Salonina Roman empress from 253 to 268 300–268 · Antiquity
  7. 7 Cornelia Supera Cornelia Supera Roman empress in 253 b. 200 · Antiquity
  8. 8 Cornelia Oschkenat Cornelia Oschkenat German track and field athlete b. 1961 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi 2nd century BC Roman noblewoman, mother of the Gracchi -189–-110 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cornelia, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cornelia?

The median living Cornelia is about 67 years old. Half of all living Cornelias are between 50 and 79 years old.

How many people named Cornelia are alive today?

An estimated 7,400 people named Cornelia are alive in the United States, based on 22,102 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cornelia mean?

A female given name from Latin in quiet use since the 18th century.

How popular is the name Cornelia in 2025?

Cornelia ranked #3,138 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 51 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cornelia?

22,102 babies have been named Cornelia in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cornelia most popular?

Cornelia peaked in 1921, when 477 newborns received the name.

Is Cornelia a boy or girl name?

Cornelia is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cornelia rising or falling?

Cornelia is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cornelia become more popular?

Cornelia is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 60 girls named Cornelia in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Cornelia?

Well-known people named Cornelia include Cornelia (companion), Cornelia Funke (writer), Cornelia Sorabji (writer).

Names like Cornelia

Names that sound and feel close to Cornelia: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cornelia with similar names → More names starting with C →