Cordel
A masculine name derived from the French word "cordelle" meaning rope.
Name Census estimates that about 432 living Americans carry the first name Cordel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cordel today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cordel births was 1997 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cordel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
432
~ 1 in 793,413 Americans
Peak year
1997
37 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2020 SSA rank
#8,895
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Cordel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cordel from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 194 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cordel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cordel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cordels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Cordel
The given name Cordel is believed to have its origins in the Portuguese language, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the word "cordel," which refers to a type of popular literature composed in verse form and often sold by traveling poets and minstrels, known as "cordelistas," in rural areas of northeastern Brazil.
The earliest known usage of the name Cordel can be traced back to the 16th century, when the tradition of cordel literature flourished in Portugal and its colonies. This literary form was particularly popular among the common people, as it allowed for the dissemination of stories, legends, and news through oral recitation and the sale of inexpensive printed booklets.
Throughout the centuries, the name Cordel has been associated with individuals who played a significant role in preserving and promoting this unique literary tradition. One of the most renowned figures is Leandro Gomes de Barros (1865-1918), a Brazilian poet and cordelista who contributed greatly to the expansion and popularization of cordel literature in the northeastern region of Brazil.
Another notable figure bearing the name Cordel is João Cordel (born João Antônio do Nascimento Cordeiro, 1924-2014), a Brazilian singer and composer who drew inspiration from the cordel tradition and incorporated its themes and styles into his music, becoming a prominent figure in the Northeastern literary and musical scene.
In the realm of literature, Cordel Encantado (1920-1990), born João Justino Filho, was a celebrated Brazilian poet and cordelista known for his imaginative and whimsical verses, which often explored themes of fantasy and folklore.
Beyond Brazil, the name Cordel has also been found in other Portuguese-speaking regions, such as Portugal itself and former Portuguese colonies. One example is Cordel de Sousa (1927-2015), a Portuguese writer and journalist who gained recognition for his works on regional culture and traditions.
While the name Cordel may not be as widely known or popular as some other names, its historical significance lies in its connection to a rich literary tradition that has preserved and celebrated the stories, legends, and folklore of the Portuguese-speaking world for centuries.
People
Cordel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cordel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cordel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cordel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 432 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cordel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 793,413 US residents.
Is Cordel a common name?
We classify Cordel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 440 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cordel most popular?
The single biggest year for Cordel was 1997, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cordel is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cordel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cordel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.