Cory
Cory was the 1245th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 160 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 59th; the most babies were born in 1989 (6,450). Over the last ten years it has moved down 522 places. More babies were named Cory in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Corey) from Norse Kóri (meaning uncertain) · Old Norse, Old Irish, English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,245 boys, down 335 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 160boys
- Girls and boys
- 8% girls, 92% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19896,450 babies
- Total since 1880
- 133,778babies recorded
What does the name Cory mean?
Cory is a spelling of Corey, pronounced the same way, so it shares Corey's meaning and origin.
Corey is an English surname that Wiktionary derives from the Old Norse given name Kóri, which may in turn come from Old Irish Cuire, from cuire, a troop or company. The name's deeper origin is therefore uncertain. As a first name Corey has been used for boys in the US since 1919 and occasionally for girls, and it was most common in the 1980s.
Kóri (Old Norse, “personal name”)cuire (Old Irish, “troop, company”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary: 'perhaps' from Old Irish.
Related names: Cory, Korey, Kori.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Corey' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Cory popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,576 | #1,245 | 14 | 160 |
| 2020 | #9,079 | #910 | 11 | 245 |
| 2010 | #6,980 | #578 | 18 | 438 |
| 2000 | #3,682 | #227 | 35 | 1,496 |
| 1990 | #971 | #67 | 192 | 5,765 |
| 1980 | #772 | #83 | 213 | 3,556 |
| 1970 | #1,135 | #164 | 103 | 1,762 |
| 1960 | #1,314 | #427 | 70 | 353 |
| 1950 | #2,680 | #1,038 | 15 | 46 |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Cory, counting every spelling?
Cory is a spelling of Corey, a name family that ranked #530 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,245 for Cory on its own. Together these spellings went to 569 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corey | 327 | #778 | 2,114 |
| Cory | 160 | #1,245 | 934 |
| Korey | 47 | #2,736 | 300 |
| Kory | 35 | #3,352 | 234 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cory?
160 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cory (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cory born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 52 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cory.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cory?
About 118,800 people born in the US named Cory are alive today, with a median age of 39; half are between 33 and 47. That makes Cory mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cory by state
How common Cory was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Indiana (1.6×). In 27 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cory: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cory, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cory
What does Cory mean?
Cory is a spelling of Corey, usually explained as “from Norse Kóri (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Cory?
Cory was the 1245th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 160 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 59th; the most babies were born in 1989 (6,450). Over the last ten years it has moved down 522 places. More babies were named Cory in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Cory a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 8% girls, 92% boys given the name Cory in the US.
Where is Cory most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cory was most common in Indiana (0.17 per 1,000 boys), followed by Ohio and Georgia.