boys' name ★ peaked 1974

Cornelius

Meaning Cornelius is an originally Roman masculine name Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #1,908 Trend ↓ Falling 22%

Cornelius is an originally Roman masculine name.

Rank 2025
#1,908
among boys · ↑248 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
82
named Cornelius · +21% vs 2024
How common
1 in 20,830
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1974
498 babies
All-time total
37,049
#602 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Cornelius popularity over time

37,049 babies have been named Cornelius 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 7 911 918 92 – #130
1890s 17 853 870 87 -5% #153
1900s 35 956 991 99 +14% #172
1910s 71 3,066 3,137 314 +217% #213
1920s 122 4,021 4,143 414 +32% #265
1930s 78 3,122 3,200 320 -23% #291
1940s 48 2,733 2,781 278 -13% #350
1950s 60 3,215 3,275 328 +18% #372
1960s 55 2,777 2,832 283 -14% #433
1970s 71 3,975 4,046 405 +43% #346
1980s 73 4,080 4,153 415 +3% #380
1990s 5 2,891 2,896 290 -30% #487
2000s – 1,923 1,923 192 -34% #789
2010s – 1,360 1,360 136 -29% #1,161
2020s (to 2025) – 524 524 87 -36% #1,513

Where Cornelius is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 79 0.05 outside top 500
2027 77 0.05 outside top 500
2028 75 0.04 outside top 500
2029 74 0.04 outside top 500
2030 73 0.04 outside top 500

Where Cornelius is most popular

Boys named Cornelius per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.048 per 1,000. Strongest in Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Cornelius born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Georgia 26 0.103 +115%
Michigan 14 0.068 +43%
Tennessee 12 0.066 +39%
Alabama 6 0.055 +15%
Utah 5 0.052 +10%
Wisconsin 6 0.051 +6%
Illinois 11 0.043 -10%
Texas 37 0.042 -12%
Florida 19 0.040 -16%
California 23 0.025 -47%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -59%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Cornelius

Cornelius is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,908 in 2025 with 82 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 37,049 American babies have been named Cornelius. Its peak came in 1974, when 498 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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

How old are people named Cornelius?

The median living Cornelius is about 45 years old; half are between 32 and 62. An estimated 21 thousand people named Cornelius are alive in the United States today.

median 45 020406080100

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

Cornelius 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 – – 82 #1,908
2024 – – 68 #2,156
2023 – – 83 #1,898
2022 – – 94 #1,762
2021 – – 86 #1,816
2020 – – 111 #1,513
2019 – – 107 #1,565
2018 – – 92 #1,708
2017 – – 106 #1,545
2016 – – 151 #1,236
2015 – – 154 #1,200
2014 – – 152 #1,208
2013 – – 151 #1,187
2012 – – 151 #1,192
2011 – – 154 #1,161
2010 – – 142 #1,243
2009 – – 166 #1,112
2008 – – 199 #988
2007 – – 200 #981
2006 – – 204 #926
2005 – – 175 #987
2004 – – 173 #967
2003 – – 222 #789
2002 – – 192 #862
2001 – – 185 #868
2000 – – 207 #790
1995 – – 261 #642
1990 5 #13,422 396 #487
1985 7 #8,532 378 #439
1980 11 #5,988 439 #392
1975 9 #6,067 417 #379
1970 10 #5,119 306 #463
1965 6 #5,934 279 #468
1960 – – 321 #450
1955 8 #4,450 339 #393
1950 8 #4,023 285 #402
1945 6 #4,122 263 #369
1940 7 #3,568 262 #350
1935 6 #3,836 292 #316
1930 14 #2,331 368 #299
1925 14 #2,513 389 #291
1920 7 #4,049 433 #265
1915 7 #3,505 372 #248
1910 6 #2,202 96 #244
1905 5 #2,002 86 #202
1900 6 #1,770 116 #183
1895 5 #1,648 86 #184
1890 – – 84 #167
1885 – – 96 #142
1880 – – 92 #147

Famous people named Cornelius

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

  1. 1 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt American business tycoon (1794–1877) 18th century
  2. 2 Cornelius the Centurion Cornelius the Centurion First Gentile to convert to Christianity 100–100 · Antiquity
  3. 3 Cornelius Cornelius Japanese musician (born 1969) Contemporary
  4. 4 Cornelius Castoriadis Cornelius Castoriadis Greek-French philosopher (1922–1997) Contemporary
  5. 5 Cornelius Ryan Cornelius Ryan Irish-American journalist and military historian (1920–1974) Contemporary
  6. 6 Cornelius Jansen Cornelius Jansen Dutch Bishop (1585-1638) 16th century
  7. 7 Cornelius Nepos Cornelius Nepos Roman historian and biographer (c.110 BC–c.25 BC) -100–-25 · Antiquity
  8. 8 Cornelius Gallus Cornelius Gallus Roman poet, orator and politician (died 26 BC) -69–-26 · Antiquity
  9. 9 Cornelius Gurlitt Cornelius Gurlitt German composer (1820–1901) 19th century
  10. 10 Cornelius A. Smith Cornelius A. Smith Bahamian politician (born 1937) Contemporary
  11. 11 Cornelius Johnson Cornelius Johnson American high jumper (1913–1946) Contemporary
  12. 12 Cornelius Fuscus 1st century AD Roman general and Praetorian Prefect 100–87 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cornelius?

The median living Cornelius is about 45 years old. Half of all living Corneliuss are between 32 and 62 years old.

How many people named Cornelius are alive today?

An estimated 21 thousand people named Cornelius are alive in the United States, based on 37,049 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cornelius mean?

Cornelius is an originally Roman masculine name.

How popular is the name Cornelius in 2025?

Cornelius ranked #1,908 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 82 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cornelius?

37,049 babies have been named Cornelius in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cornelius most popular?

Cornelius peaked in 1974, when 498 newborns received the name.

Is Cornelius a boy or girl name?

Cornelius is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cornelius rising or falling?

Cornelius is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cornelius become more popular?

Cornelius is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 73 boys named Cornelius 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 Cornelius?

Well-known people named Cornelius include Cornelius Vanderbilt (businessperson), Cornelius the Centurion (religious figure), Cornelius (musician).

Names like Cornelius

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

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