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The short answer
Cora is a feminine name pronounced KOR-ə. Behind the Name defines it as the "Latinized form of Kore", a name from Greek mythology; the fetched entry does not gloss Kore, so no word meaning is asserted here. The entry says the name "was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after it was employed by James Fenimore Cooper for a character in his novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826)". It adds that in some cases Cora may instead be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound. Kora is the German variant, and Coretta, Corie and Corrie are English diminutives. In the United States it ranked #113 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Cora as the "Latinized form of Kore", listing the name under English, German and Latinized Greek mythology usage. The fetched entry does not gloss Kore, so this profile does not state a word meaning; a reviewer should confirm it on the Kore entry. English use began only after James Fenimore Cooper employed the name for a character in The Last of the Mohicans (1826). The entry also allows that "in some cases it may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound". Kora is listed as a German variant, alongside the German short forms Lia, Nele and Nelly; English diminutives are Coretta, Corie and Corrie; Cornelius is given as the German masculine form.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Kore (Κόρη) | Greek mythological name; gloss not given in the fetched entry |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name notes that in some cases Cora may be a short form of Cordula, Corinna and other names beginning with a similar sound, rather than a direct Latinization of Kore.
Popularity
Cora ranked #113 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name's only historical note is that English use began after Cooper's 1826 novel; no other trend data was in the fetched entry.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #113 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Coretta, Corie, Corrie
Variants: Kora
Related names: Kore, Corinna, Cornelia, Cordula, Corinne, Corina
What the name feels like
Cora is a two-syllable vintage name that has come back with the wider revival of early-20th-century favourites: short, soft and complete on its own. Its literary debut in an American frontier novel gives it a homespun quality, while the Greek mythological root gives it depth for parents who look further back. It pairs easily with longer middle names.
Style tags: vintage, Greek mythology, literary, two syllables
Editorial interpretation: The style impressions above are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact. The derivation from Kore, the 1826 literary origin and the short-form note are drawn from Behind the Name; the "revival" framing is the writer's impression, not a sourced trend claim.
If you like this name
Editorial suggestions: names in the same Cor- family, and short vintage names with Cora's soft two-syllable sound.
Similar by origin
- Corinna
- Cornelia
- Corinne
- Cordula
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Cora mean?
Behind the Name defines Cora as the Latinized form of Kore, a name from Greek mythology. The fetched entry does not gloss Kore, so no word meaning is claimed here.
Where does the name Cora come from?
According to Behind the Name, Cora was not used as a given name in the English-speaking world until after James Fenimore Cooper used it for a character in The Last of the Mohicans (1826). In some cases it may also be a short form of Cordula or Corinna.
Is Cora a popular name?
Cora ranked #113 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Cora — supports etymology, competing origins, 1826 literary origin, pronunciation, variants, nicknames, related names.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
