Kori first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Kori has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Kori

A feminine Japanese name meaning "ice" or "frozen".

Popularity of Kori by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kori is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 90% of people named Kori being female.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 299 female babies and 26 male babies born with the name Kori.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 26 baby boys were named Kori in 2024, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

YearMale CountFemale Count
202426299
202328344
202227386
202141432
202028350
201934380
201825383
201732426
201628475
201526442
201428340
201318268
201226226
201123240
201022214
200927221
200820221
200727232
200630205
200525198
200426173
200323179
200229168
200128182
200024218
199927232
199832286
199729281
199620291
199529299
199435342
199342323
199231333
199146277
199041254
198957284
198838230
198745225
198634242
198522205
198423157
198317164
198228187
198120191
198038174
197932217
197824231
197726255
197617187
197520171

The history of the first name Kori

The given name Kori has its origins in the Japanese language and culture. It is a feminine name that can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japan. The name Kori is derived from the Japanese word "kori," which means "little basket" or "small container." This name was likely given to girls with the hope that they would be graceful, feminine, and able to carry and hold precious things, both tangible and intangible.

In ancient Japanese folklore and literature, there are references to the name Kori, often associated with characters who embodied traits of gentleness, elegance, and beauty. One notable example is the character Kori-no-Hime, a princess from the classic Japanese novel "The Tale of Genji" written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kori can be traced back to the 12th century in Japan. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Kori-no-Tsubone, a court lady who served during the reign of Emperor Go-Toba (1180-1239 CE).

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kori:

  1. Kori Ubusuna (1483-1528), a Japanese female poet and calligrapher during the Muromachi period.
  2. Kori Tomonobu (1589-1633), a Japanese samurai and daimyo (feudal lord) who served under the Tokugawa shogunate.
  3. Kori Kumazawa (1619-1691), a prominent Japanese painter and calligrapher during the Edo period.
  4. Kori Kurayoshi (1752-1828), a Japanese scholar and poet who served as a court advisor during the Edo period.
  5. Kori Tomioka (1836-1905), a Japanese diplomat and statesman who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration.

While the name Kori is primarily associated with Japanese culture, it has also been adopted in other parts of the world, although with varying meanings and origins. It is important to note that this report focuses solely on the history and meaning of the given name Kori from a Japanese perspective.

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 Kori was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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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!

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