Cora
Cora is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “maiden.” It ranked #66 in the United States in 2025. Cora derives from the Greek 'Kore,' an epithet for Persephone meaning 'maiden.
how do you pronounce Cora?
KOR-ah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Cora mean?
The name Cora means “maiden.” It comes from the Greek language tradition.
Cora derives from the Greek 'Kore,' an epithet for Persephone meaning 'maiden.' It was used by James Fenimore Cooper in 'The Last of the Mohicans' and gained new life through 'Downton Abbey's' Lady Cora.
where does the name Cora come from?
From the Greek korē, meaning maiden or girl — the title used of Persephone in her role as daughter, since her actual name was avoided in cult contexts. It may equally have entered English as a short form of Cordelia or Corinne.
the history of Cora
James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans gave the name its first substantial English-language bearer in 1826, and it was widely used in America through the later nineteenth century. It disappeared for most of the twentieth and returned after 2000, helped by Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #66 |
| 2023 | #68 |
| 2022 | #70 |
| 2021 | #73 |
| 2020 | #79 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Cora?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Cora?
- Lady Cora Crawley (Downton Abbey character)
- Cora Coralina (Brazilian poet)
- Cora (The Last of the Mohicans character)
what names are similar to Cora?
what names go well with Cora?
Sibling names that share Cora's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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