Cordelia
Cordelia is a girls' name of Celtic origin meaning “heart, daughter of the sea.” It ranked #981 in the United States in 2025. Cordelia is best known as the virtuous daughter in Shakespeare's 'King Lear.
how do you pronounce Cordelia?
kor-DEEL-yah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Cordelia mean?
The name Cordelia means “heart, daughter of the sea.” It comes from the Celtic language tradition.
Cordelia is best known as the virtuous daughter in Shakespeare's 'King Lear.' Its Celtic roots may connect to 'cor' (heart). The name has a romantic, literary grandeur that appeals to parents seeking something elaborate yet timeless.
where does the name Cordelia come from?
Wikipedia states Cordelia's origin is uncertain, and gives three competing associations rather than a settled derivation: the Latin cor, 'heart'; the Welsh name Creiddylad, allegedly meaning 'jewel of the sea' — not 'daughter of the sea' as sometimes stated, and Wikipedia itself flags this as only an alleged meaning; and the French coeur de lion, 'heart of a lion'. Wiktionary offers a separate theory, that Shakespeare's spelling derives from the saint's name Cordula.
the history of Cordelia
Wikipedia confirms Cordelia was borne by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's King Lear (1606), a character based on an earlier legendary queen Cordelia; Wiktionary adds that Shakespeare's spelling of the historical British name itself varies, appearing as Cordeilla and other forms.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #981 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Cordelia?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Cordelia?
- Cordelia (Shakespeare's King Lear)
- Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer character)
- Cordelia Fine (Canadian-British academic)
what names are similar to Cordelia?
what names go well with Cordelia?
Sibling names that share Cordelia's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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