Cornelius
How to say it: kor-NEEL-yus · /kɔrˈniliəs/
From Roman clan Cornelia; possibly derived from Latin 'cornu' meaning 'horn', symbolizing strength.
Cornelius was the 1,546th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 82 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are down about 45% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,742 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,546 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 82 |
| Share of births | 1 in 40,431 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | −45% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,742 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Cornelius peaked in the 1880s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Cornelius is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Swedish.
Famous people named Cornelius
- Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877)American businessman and tycoon
- Cornelius Castoriadis (1922–1997)Greek-French philosopher
- Cornelius Jansen (1585–1638)Bishop and theologian
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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