Kory
Kory was the 3352nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 35 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 360th; the most babies were born in 1989 (601). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,540 places. More babies were named Kory in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Corey) from Norse Kóri (meaning uncertain) · Old Norse, Old Irish, English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,352 boys, down 862 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 35boys
- Girls and boys
- 18% girls, 82% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1989601 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,723babies recorded
What does the name Kory mean?
Kory 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)
Kory popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,800 | #3,352 | 10 | 35 |
| 2020 | #8,212 | #2,490 | 13 | 52 |
| 2010 | #16,066 | #1,824 | 6 | 80 |
| 2000 | #8,310 | #733 | 12 | 234 |
| 1990 | #3,959 | #388 | 26 | 598 |
| 1980 | #2,829 | #471 | 32 | 317 |
| 1970 | #4,140 | #546 | 14 | 221 |
| 1960 | — | #976 | — | 61 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kory, counting every spelling?
Kory is a spelling of Corey, a name family that ranked #530 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,352 for Kory 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 Kory?
35 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kory (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kory 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 240 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kory.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kory?
About 13,500 people born in the US named Kory are alive today, with a median age of 37; half are between 30 and 46. That makes Kory 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.
Kory by state
How common Kory was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 44 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 Kory: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kory, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kory
What does Kory mean?
Kory is a spelling of Corey, usually explained as “from Norse Kóri (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Kory?
Kory was the 3352nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 35 babies. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked 360th; the most babies were born in 1989 (601). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,540 places. More babies were named Kory in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Kory a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 18% girls, 82% boys given the name Kory in the US.
Where is Kory most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kory was most common in Georgia (0.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Illinois and Ohio.