Kori
Kori was the 978th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 260 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 631st with 475 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 332 places. More babies were named Kori in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Cory · English, Old Norse
Say it KOR-ee /ˈkɔri/
- Rank in 2025
- #978 girls, down 199 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 260girls
- Girls and boys
- 92% girls, 8% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2016475 babies
- Total since 1880
- 16,387babies recorded
What does the name Kori mean?
Kori is a 20th-century American variant of Cory, according to Wiktionary, used mostly for girls. Cory and Corey come from an English surname that Wiktionary derives from the Old Norse given name Kóri, perhaps from Old Irish cuire, a troop. Wiktionary also records an unrelated Yoruba name Kori. US records show Kori from 1953 for girls and 1962 for boys.
Kóri (Old Norse, “personal name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Meaning through Corey, whose origin Wiktionary gives only as 'perhaps'.
Related names: Cory, Corey, Korey, Kora.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kori' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- 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)
Kori popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #978 | #4,003 | 260 | 27 |
| 2020 | #779 | #3,772 | 350 | 28 |
| 2010 | #1,140 | #4,454 | 215 | 22 |
| 2000 | #972 | #3,483 | 218 | 24 |
| 1990 | #794 | #1,891 | 254 | 41 |
| 1980 | #883 | #1,581 | 174 | 38 |
| 1970 | #1,175 | #2,360 | 99 | 16 |
| 1960 | #2,272 | — | 27 | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kori, counting every spelling?
Kori is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #626 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #978 for Kori on its own. Together these spellings went to 465 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kori | 260 | #978 | 1,725 |
| Cori | 100 | #1,932 | 571 |
| Korie | 35 | #4,125 | 211 |
| Corrie | 33 | #4,282 | 189 |
| Corie | 22 | #5,595 | 98 |
| Korri | 5 | #16,208 | 39 |
| Koree | 5 | #16,205 | 35 |
| Korrie | 5 | #16,209 | 34 |
| Korea | — | — | 29 |
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 Kori?
260 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kori (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kori 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 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kori.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kori?
About 14,500 people born in the US named Kori are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 10 and 39. That makes Kori mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Kori by state
How common Kori was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (4.3×), Mississippi (4.2×), Louisiana (3.3×), Georgia (2.7×), Alabama (2.4×). In 21 states fewer than five girls 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 Kori: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kori, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kori · Sibling names for Kori
Questions about the name Kori
What does Kori mean?
Kori is usually explained as “variant of Cory”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Kori?
Kori was the 978th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 260 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 631st with 475 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 332 places. More babies were named Kori in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kori a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 92% girls, 8% boys given the name Kori in the US.
Where is Kori most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kori was most common in Delaware (1.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and Mississippi.