Given name & surname
Cornel
“refers to a horn”
Cornel is a variant of Cornelius. One Latin interpretation is “refers to a horn.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Cornel is a variant of Cornelius. One Latin interpretation is “refers to a horn.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Cornel is a variant of Cornelius. A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Cornel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,174
- 1,174 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 59 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 59 in 1947. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,423 as a first name in 2020; 260 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cornel’s family of names
Cornel has a related form in Cornelius. In Romanian usage, Cornel has a conventional equivalent in the English form Cornelius. In Romanian usage, Cornel is a shortened form of CORNELIU.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Cornel has relatives in 5 languages.
5 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Cornel
- Cornel WildeHungarian-American actor and film director1912–1989
- Cornel WestAmerican philosopher, political activist and writer (born 1953)
- Cornel DinuRomanian footballerborn 1948
- Cornel PenuRomanian handball playerborn 1946
- Cornel MarinRomanian fencerborn 1953
- Cornel DurăuRomanian handball playerborn 1957
- Cornel OțeleaRomanian handball player (1940–2025)
- Cornel ȚăranuRomanien composer and conductor (1934–2023)
- Cornel PavloviciRomanian footballer (1943-2013)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cornel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“the defender of the castle”
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“from the valley; a church official”
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“one who travels; a wanderer”
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Rollie
“from the renowned land”
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