Cora
/ˈkɔɹ.ə/
Cora derives from the Greek Kore, meaning “maiden” or “girl.” In ancient Greek religion, Kore was the epithet used for Persephone before her abduction to the underworld, marking her identity as the daughter of Demeter and a symbol of spring renewal.
The name entered the English literary tradition most prominently through James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans, where Cora Munro is portrayed as a courageous and complex heroine.
Cooper’s use helped establish Cora as a respectable Anglo-American given name throughout the 19th century.
What the name Cora means
In United States popularity records, Cora ranked among the top 20 girls’ names during the 1880s and 1890s, reflecting the Victorian fondness for short, classical-sounding feminine names.
The name declined through much of the 20th century but staged a strong revival from the 2010s onward, re-entering the top 100 by 2014.
The name appears across multiple European languages with minor phonetic adjustments. In Italy, the form Cora is used directly; in Greece, the classical Kore persists in learned and mythological contexts.
The Scottish and Irish traditions also embraced Cora independently, sometimes connecting it to Gaelic roots meaning “ravine” or “hollowed place.”
Cora gained additional cultural visibility through the character Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, in the British television series Downton Abbey, which aired from 2010 to 2015.
This portrayal reinforced the name’s associations with elegance and quiet authority, contributing to its renewed popularity among parents in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Cora
Cora - similar names
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