Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1962

Cornell

Gender Boy · 3% girls Rank 2025 #6,194

From Cornwall, spelling conflated with the Latin family name Cornelius.

Rank 2025
#6,194
among boys · ↓1,733 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
14
named Cornell · -39% vs 2024
How common
1 in 122,005
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1962
247 babies
All-time total
11,695
#1,119 all-time among boys
First recorded
1890
in Social Security records

Cornell popularity over time

11,695 babies have been named Cornell since 1890, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – 11 11 1 – #914
1900s – 37 37 4 +236% #963
1910s 44 310 354 35 +857% #828
1920s 80 443 523 52 +48% #966
1930s 51 522 573 57 +10% #788
1940s 55 1,004 1,059 106 +85% #480
1950s 63 2,011 2,074 207 +96% #478
1960s 44 1,773 1,817 182 -12% #508
1970s 11 1,514 1,525 153 -16% #578
1980s – 1,326 1,326 133 -13% #741
1990s – 949 949 95 -28% #963
2000s – 768 768 77 -19% #1,516
2010s – 529 529 53 -31% #1,854
2020s (to 2025) – 150 150 25 -53% #3,147

The story of Cornell

Cornell is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,194 in 2025 with 14 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1890, 11,695 American babies have been named Cornell. Its peak came in 1962, when 247 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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

How old are people named Cornell?

The median living Cornell is about 51 years old; half are between 34 and 66. An estimated 8,700 people named Cornell are alive in the United States today.

median 51 020406080100

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

Cornell 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 – – 14 #6,194
2024 – – 23 #4,461
2023 – – 21 #4,773
2022 – – 35 #3,348
2021 – – 21 #4,661
2020 – – 36 #3,147
2019 – – 45 #2,773
2018 – – 37 #3,116
2017 – – 52 #2,459
2016 – – 41 #2,894
2015 – – 47 #2,610
2014 – – 46 #2,632
2013 – – 56 #2,287
2012 – – 71 #1,988
2011 – – 56 #2,290
2010 – – 78 #1,854
2009 – – 88 #1,744
2008 – – 89 #1,713
2007 – – 86 #1,730
2006 – – 81 #1,727
2005 – – 71 #1,818
2004 – – 72 #1,750
2003 – – 85 #1,516
2002 – – 67 #1,727
2001 – – 60 #1,844
2000 – – 69 #1,669
1995 – – 78 #1,328
1990 – – 117 #963
1985 – – 135 #762
1980 – – 140 #741
1975 – – 137 #708
1970 – – 194 #578
1965 – – 163 #595
1960 6 #5,825 144 #649
1955 7 #4,822 218 #501
1950 5 #5,447 159 #542
1945 7 #3,735 72 #720
1940 5 #4,483 51 #883
1935 8 #3,209 47 #923
1930 – – 45 #1,024
1925 9 #3,421 48 #985
1920 6 #4,503 32 #1,277
1915 11 #2,570 33 #1,128
1910 – – 14 #828
1905 – – 6 #1,127
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 6 #914
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Cornell

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

  1. 1 Cornell Woolrich Cornell Woolrich American novelist (1903–1968) Contemporary
  2. 2 Cornell Borchers Cornell Borchers German actress (1925–2014) Contemporary
  3. 3 Cornell Capa Cornell Capa Hungarian American photographer (1918–2008) Contemporary
  4. 4 Cornell Glen Cornell Glen Trinidadian footballer b. 1980 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cornell?

The median living Cornell is about 51 years old. Half of all living Cornells are between 34 and 66 years old.

How many people named Cornell are alive today?

An estimated 8,700 people named Cornell are alive in the United States, based on 11,695 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cornell mean?

From Cornwall, spelling conflated with the Latin family name Cornelius.

How popular is the name Cornell in 2025?

Cornell ranked #6,194 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 14 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cornell?

11,695 babies have been named Cornell in the United States since 1890, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cornell most popular?

Cornell peaked in 1962, when 247 newborns received the name.

Is Cornell a boy or girl name?

Cornell is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cornell rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Cornell?

Well-known people named Cornell include Cornell Woolrich (writer), Cornell Borchers (actor), Cornell Capa (photographer).

Names like Cornell

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

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