Cornelius - A very unique male name
Cornelius at a glance
Cornelius is ranked #2263 among boy baby names in 2025, with 24 births in 2025. It peaked in 1911 at #221 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #2263
- Births in 2025
- 24
- Peak year
- 1911 (#221)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #1473 in 2020 → #2263 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 61,095 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (1 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 61,095 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Cornelius peaked in popularity 115 years ago in 1911 on position 221.
Famous with this name
Deborah Cornelius
Eugene Cornelius
Cornelius Booth
How would you rate Cornelius, 1-5?
Cornelius is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Cornelius is currently topping the baby name charts in Michigan at position #926 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,029.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Cornelius is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Cornelius origin and meaning
Latin (Roman family name)
Uncertain — the Roman gens Cornelia; traditionally linked to Latin cornu, 'horn', but the derivation is not established
Cornelius is an old Roman family name carried through Dutch and German use into English. In the US it peaked in the 1970s in this data and has fallen since, retaining a formal, patrician air.
Origin uncertain
Cornelius is a 9 letter name with 4 syllables.
To see famous people named Cornelius, pop culture references for the name Cornelius and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Cornelius
We've found the following names that sound similar to Cornelius, sorted by popularity.
Carmelo / Cornell / Carnell / Carmello / Cornelio / Cornelious / Carmel / Cornel / Corneall /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2263 |
| 2024 | 2875 |
| 2023 | 2024 |
| 2022 | 1788 |
| 2021 | 1730 |
| 2020 | 1473 |
| 2019 | 1473 |
| 2018 | 1710 |
| 2017 | 1433 |
| 2016 | 1246 |
| 2015 | 1206 |
| 2014 | 1148 |
| 2013 | 1165 |
| 2012 | 1147 |
| 2011 | 1117 |
| 2010 | 1287 |
| 2009 | 1065 |
| 2008 | 931 |
| 2007 | 920 |
| 2006 | 892 |
| 2005 | 994 |
| 2004 | 941 |
| 2003 | 778 |
| 2002 | 875 |
| 2001 | 835 |
| 2000 | 787 |
| 1999 | 719 |
| 1998 | 686 |
| 1997 | 688 |
| 1996 | 674 |
| 1995 | 632 |
| 1994 | 623 |
| 1993 | 578 |
| 1992 | 536 |
| 1991 | 510 |
| 1990 | 483 |
| 1989 | 448 |
| 1988 | 469 |
| 1987 | 439 |
| 1986 | 430 |
| 1985 | 431 |
| 1984 | 403 |
| 1983 | 406 |
| 1982 | 396 |
| 1981 | 377 |
| 1980 | 386 |
| 1979 | 399 |
| 1978 | 370 |
| 1977 | 388 |
| 1976 | 374 |
| 1975 | 376 |
| 1974 | 344 |
| 1973 | 355 |
| 1972 | 401 |
| 1971 | 452 |
| 1970 | 453 |
| 1969 | 452 |
| 1968 | 478 |
| 1967 | 449 |
| 1966 | 493 |
| 1965 | 443 |
| 1964 | 472 |
| 1963 | 465 |
| 1962 | 485 |
| 1961 | 418 |
| 1960 | 427 |
| 1959 | 438 |
| 1958 | 431 |
| 1957 | 416 |
| 1956 | 421 |
| 1955 | 390 |
| 1954 | 379 |
| 1953 | 400 |
| 1952 | 372 |
| 1951 | 372 |
| 1950 | 389 |
| 1949 | 372 |
| 1948 | 369 |
| 1947 | 386 |
| 1946 | 416 |
| 1945 | 364 |
| 1944 | 392 |
| 1943 | 369 |
| 1942 | 364 |
| 1941 | 366 |
| 1940 | 356 |
| 1939 | 339 |
| 1938 | 326 |
| 1937 | 323 |
| 1936 | 316 |
| 1935 | 316 |
| 1934 | 300 |
| 1933 | 304 |
| 1932 | 293 |
| 1931 | 294 |
| 1930 | 298 |
| 1929 | 286 |
| 1928 | 288 |
| 1927 | 286 |
| 1926 | 294 |
| 1925 | 288 |
| 1924 | 288 |
| 1923 | 284 |
| 1922 | 266 |
| 1921 | 262 |
| 1920 | 262 |
| 1919 | 263 |
| 1918 | 252 |
| 1917 | 263 |
| 1916 | 252 |
| 1915 | 251 |
| 1914 | 258 |
| 1913 | 223 |
| 1912 | 224 |
| 1911 | 221 |
| 1910 | 251 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 926 |
| Texas | 1677 |
| California | 2029 |
Even more about Cornelius
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Cornelius a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Cornelius?
4 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
kor-NEE-lee-us · /kɔːrˈniːliəs/
Around the world
- Cornelis (Dutch) — The Dutch form
- Kornelius (German) — The German form
Spellings and nicknames
- Cornelis — Dutch form used in the US
Nicknames: NealCorny
Famous bearers
- Cornelius Vanderbilt — Railroad and shipping magnate (1794–1877) Historical
Style
ClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Cornelius is grand and unhurried — parents choose it for weight and history, usually with a shorter everyday form in mind.
Worth knowing
- Four syllables and the nickname Corny are real frictions
