Given name
Corinna
“a spear-wielding woman”
In German use, Corinna has a related form in Corina. One Latin interpretation is “a spear-wielding woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Corinna has a related form in Corina. One Latin interpretation is “a spear-wielding woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
Corinna may have developed from Kore. This connection is qualified rather than certain.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In German use, Corinna is a variant of Cora. The history of Cora gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Cora is a name for the goddess of the underworld.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Corinna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,110
- 0 boys · 7,110 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 225 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #4,194 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,194 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 225 in 1970. In 2025, North Carolina had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,315 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Corinna’s family of names
Corinna may have developed from Kore. This connection is qualified rather than certain. In English usage, Corinna has a conventional equivalent in the French form Corinne. In German usage, Corinna has a related form in Cora.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Corinna has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
4 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Corinna
- Corinnaancient Greek poet whose lifetime is unclear and controversial500 BC–500 BC
- Corinna HarfouchGerman actressborn 1954
- Corinna TsopeiGreek actor and Miss Universe 1964born 1944
- Corinna MayGerman singerborn 1970
- Corinna DentoniItalian female tennis playerborn 1989
- Corinna HarneyAmerican actress and modelborn 1972
- Corinna EversonAmerican bodybuilderborn 1958
- Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-SaynDanish-German entrepreneurborn 1964
- Corinna KuhnleAustrian kayakerborn 1987
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
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