Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Cora

    A girl’s name from Greek meaning “maiden”.

    Pronounced /ˈkoɹə/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Greek origin

    Cora means “maiden” in Greek.

    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”).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 368 girls were named Cora, making it the 132nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2024, with 373 births (#134).

    0200400 1996200020052010201520202025
    4,845
    babies named Cora, 1996–2025
    #132
    rank in 2025
    2024
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cora with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Cora at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 2,428 girls born in the United States were named Cora, the 113th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2019, when 3,602 were.

    02,0004,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    156,415
    babies named Cora since 1880
    #113
    rank in 2025
    2019
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Cora

    16 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Cora Witherspoon
      Actress (1890-1957)
    • Cora Sue Collins
      American child actress, 1927–2025
    • Cora Jade
      American professional wrestler, born 2001
    • Cora Diamond
      American philosopher, born 1937
    • Cora pika
      Brazilian poet and short story writer (1889–1985)
    • Cora van Nieuwenhuizen
      Dutch former politician, born 1963
    • Cora Pearl
      English courtesan who became famous in the Second French Empire, 1835–1886
    • Cora Berliner
      German economist (1890–1942)
    • Cora DuBois
      Anthropologist, academic (1903–1991)
    • Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter
      American actress (1857-1936)
    • Cora Agnes Benneson
      American attorney (1851–1919)
    • Cora Crane
      American businesswoman, nightclub and bordello owner, writer and journalist (1865–1910)

    More Greek girls’ names

    All 347 names of Greek origin

    Questions

    What does the name Cora mean?
    Cora means “maiden” in Greek.
    What is the origin of the name 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 Marmontel's Les Incas (1777) and the Ancient Greek epithet Κόρη (Kórē) for Περσεφόνη (Persephónē). It could also refer directly to…
    How popular is the name Cora?
    In 2025, 368 girls born in England and Wales were named Cora, ranking 132nd. Its peak was 2024, with 373 births.
    Is Cora a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 156,415 US babies named Cora since 1880 were girls.
    When was Cora most popular?
    2019 in the United States, when 3,602 babies were named Cora, its highest rank at 71st.
    How do you pronounce Cora?
    Cora is /ˈkoɹə/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Cora?
    Kora.
    Is Cora also a surname?
    Yes. Cora is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.