Given name & surname
Cory
“from the hollow; of the churning waters”·“of the heart”
Cory is a variant of Corey. One Irish interpretation is “from the hollow; of the churning waters.” Cory is a diminutive of Corazon. One Spanish interpretation is “of the heart.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Cory is a variant of Corey. One Irish interpretation is “from the hollow; of the churning waters.” Cory is a diminutive of Corazon. One Spanish interpretation is “of the heart.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Cory is a variant of Corey. An origin associated with Corey is Old Norse. In English use, Cory has a related form in Kory. An origin associated with Kory is Irish. In English use, Cory is a diminutive of Cora. An origin associated with Cora is Greek. Cory is a diminutive of Corazon. An origin associated with Corazon is Spanish. In French use, Cory is a diminutive of Corin. A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Cory is a diminutive of Corinne. In English usage, Cory is a masculine form of Cora.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1924. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Cory is a diminutive 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
Cory through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 133,778
- 127,179 boys · 6,599 girls
- Most popular year
- 1989
- 6,660 babies
- 2025
- 174
- #1,245 for boys · #7,576 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 94% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 160 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,245 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 6,450 in 1989. It also appeared in 14 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 113,340 as a first name in 2020; 5,229 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.
Cory’s family of names
In English usage, Cory is a diminutive of Corinne. In English usage, Cory is a masculine form of Cora. Cory has a related form in Corey.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Cory has relatives in 3 languages.
12 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Cory
- Cory BookerAmerican politician (born 1969)
- Cory DoctorowCanadian-British-American blogger, journalist, and science fiction authorborn 1971
- Cory MonteithCanadian actor (1982-2013)
- Cory GardnerUnited States Senator from Coloradoborn 1974
- Cory EdwardsAmerican film director and comedian (born 1968)
- Cory JosephCanadian basketball player (born 1991)
- Cory Michael SmithAmerican actorborn 1986
- Cory HigginsAmerican basketball player (born 1989)
- Cory SchneiderAmerican ice hockey playerborn 1986
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cory, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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