The first name Cornelius
A boy’s name from Latin.
Pronounced /kɔɹˈniliəs/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Borrowed from Latin Cornēlius.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 6 boys were named Cornelius, making it the 3,256th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2004, with 11 births (#1,498).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Cornelius with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Cornelius at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 82 boys born in the United States were named Cornelius, the 1,908th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1974, when 486 were.
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.
Cornelius in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Cornelius in Latin too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Con
Famous people named Cornelius
52 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Cornelius VanderbiltAmerican businessman and tycoon (1794–1877)
- Cornelius JansenBishop and theologian (1585-1638)
- Cornelius SimCatholic bishop (1951–2021)
- Cornelius A. Smith11th governor-general of The Bahamas (born 1937)
- Cornelius JohnsonAmerican high jumper (1913–1946)
- Cornelius WarmerdamAmerican pole vaulter, coach (1915–2001)
- Cornelius GurlittGerman composer (1820-1901)
- Cornelius a LapideFlemish Jesuit priest and exegete (1568-1637)
- Christianus Cornelius UhlenbeckDutch linguist (1866–1951)
- Cornelius CardewEnglish composer and improviser, 1936–1981
- Cornelius GurlittGerman architect, academic and art historian (1850–1938)
- Cornelius van TilDutch-American philosopher and theologian, 1895–1987
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Cornelius mean?
- Borrowed from Latin Cornēlius.
- What is the origin of the name Cornelius?
- Borrowed from Latin Cornēlius.
- How popular is the name Cornelius?
- In 2025, 6 boys born in England and Wales were named Cornelius, ranking 3,256th. Its peak was 2004, with 11 births.
- Is Cornelius a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 98% of the 37,049 US babies named Cornelius since 1880 were boys.
- When was Cornelius most popular?
- 1974 in the United States, when 486 babies were named Cornelius, its highest rank at 346th.
- How do you pronounce Cornelius?
- Cornelius is /kɔɹˈniliəs/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Cornelius?
- Con.
- Is Cornelius also a surname?
- Yes. Cornelius is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.