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The short answer
Cordelia is a feminine name used in Literature and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606)." It ranked #981 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only one to remain loyal to her father. The spelling was later altered to Cordelia when Geoffrey's story was adapted by others, including Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590) and Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear (1606). The entry lists its usage as Literature, English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Cordelia ranked #981 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #981 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Literature) and that sit near Cordelia in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Cordelia mean?
Behind the Name does not give Cordelia a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from Cordeilla, a name appearing in the 12th-century chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth, borne by the youngest of the three daughters of King Leir and the only.
Is Cordelia a popular name?
Cordelia ranked #981 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Cordelia a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Cordelia appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Cordelia — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
