Cory first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Cory has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Cory

A Greek masculine name meaning "main man" or "crown".

Popularity of Cory by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Cory is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 96% of people named Cory being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 173 male babies and 13 female babies born with the name Cory.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 13 baby girls were named Cory in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 173 13
2022 182 23
2021 221 13
2020 244 11
2019 243 10
2018 241 9
2017 300 15
2016 320 14
2015 341 11
2014 357 10
2013 377 13
2012 371 13
2011 362 15
2010 437 18
2009 544 15
2008 607 22
2007 706 22
2006 653 19
2005 773 18
2004 817 15
2003 924 25
2002 1,119 30
2001 1,263 33
2000 1,496 35
1999 1,703 55
1998 2,075 55
1997 2,083 69
1996 2,446 77
1995 3,010 100
1994 3,528 108
1993 3,997 135
1992 4,436 170
1991 5,121 158
1990 5,767 192
1989 6,449 210
1988 6,269 206
1987 5,851 210
1986 4,870 260
1985 3,869 184
1984 3,506 215
1983 3,403 183
1982 3,238 177
1981 3,357 213
1980 3,554 213
1979 3,588 239
1978 3,846 283
1977 4,257 272
1976 3,184 243
1975 2,573 222
1974 2,329 175

The history of the first name Cory

The name Cory has its origins in the Greek word "korios," meaning "son" or "young man." It first appeared in ancient Greece around the 5th century BC and was used as a diminutive form of names like Corinthos or Coriander.

Over time, the name spread throughout the Mediterranean region and eventually made its way to the British Isles. In the Middle Ages, the name took on various spellings, such as Cori, Corie, and Korie, but the modern spelling of Cory became more prevalent in the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cory can be found in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who wrote a character named Corydon in his play "The Wasps" around 422 BC. However, it's unclear whether this was an actual name or a literary creation.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Cory. In the 17th century, Cory Townsend (1625-1701) was an English politician and Member of Parliament for West Looe. In the 19th century, Cory Winfield (1854-1912) was an American journalist and political activist known for his advocacy of women's suffrage.

Moving into the 20th century, Cory Aquino (1933-2009) was a prominent Filipino political figure who served as the 11th President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. Cory Unrau (1955-2007) was a Canadian actor best known for his roles in TV shows like "Due South" and "The X-Files."

More recently, Cory Monteith (1982-2013) was a Canadian actor and singer who gained fame for his role as Finn Hudson on the popular TV series "Glee." Sadly, he passed away at the young age of 31 due to a drug overdose.

While the name Cory has seen ebbs and flows in popularity over the centuries, its Greek roots and historical significance have ensured that it remains a recognizable and meaningful name in various cultures around the world.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Cory was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cory, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cory first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/cory-meaning-and-history/.

"Cory first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/cory-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Cory first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/cory-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.